Dead Already
by theangelCas
Summary: Sam and Dean find themselves in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. Struggling to survive, they meet a young girl who might be more important than they think. -Season 2 AU-
1. Pilot

_**_**This is my first multi-chapter fic, so thank you for giving it a chance! **_**__**_**(And don't worry, the other chapters are much longer!)**_**_

_**_**I'd really appreciate review so I know whether or not to **_**__**_**keep on writing, and what to write**_**__**_**; this is just a preview and a short one at that! Thank you!**_**_

It was just six or seven months ago when people started getting sick. Well, at least that's what they called it. They were just "sick." It didn't take long for this "sickness" to spread. Everywhere.

No one could pinpoint where it started, but it was obvious how it spread- biting. If you were bitten by one of the infected, you would become sick and die within the week.

And then you would wake up again.

__"Zombies, man! ____Real like z____ombies!" Dean laughed, hitting the steering wheel as he drove along the empty road, Sam beside him, ____as always.__

__"We don't know t____h____at for sure, yet," Sam didn't even look up from the newspapers he was reading ____as he talked to his overly-excited brother.____ It was about the most recent vic. A 30 year old nurse had been bitten by one of the____se____ "zombies" during his shift. He became increasingly sick, ____and______a____fter 3 days of lying in bed, he died. The next morning, before anyone even knew he had passed, he woke up and attacked his wife.__

At first they (or Dean at least) had almost been excited for this case. There were real, in-the-flesh, zombies! But soon it became apparent that this epidemic was nothing like they had ever seen before, and even the entire hunting community was powerless to stop it.

As it spread, it sent the world into panic. Chaos. Doctors and Hunters alike could not figure out how to stop it, or even how it started. The only thing they learned was how to kill them: by destroying the brain.

__"So you're telling me that the only way to kill it is a ____head-shot____?" Dean questioned his brother, who had just got off the phone with Bobby.__

__"I guess. Or you could bash its head in." Sam shrugged. "____It's all about the brain. ____Apparently Rufus ran into some down in Florida. He shot it in the heart, used silver, salt, the works. Nothing killed it until he shot it right in the head."__

In just a few months, the world was suddenly a scene from "28 Days Later." The government was gone, and most people were either dead or in hiding. The world was a totally different place... but the Winchesters had survived.

And they weren't the only ones.


	2. Megan

_**This chapter is up later than I hoped, but earlier than expected. I'd appreciate reviews!**_

Megan could hear the zombies outside. She could smell the rotten flesh. She clasped her hands tightly around her shotgun, closed her eyes, and prayed for them to go away. She was hiding in a deserted liquor store. She had boarded up the windows the best she could, and taken shelter underneath the counter. She had been living off of candy bars and Captain Morgan for two days now.

Megan had no one left. She had lived alone, with no close friends or family, in solitude. When the apocalypse came, she had no one to turn to. She hid out in her tiny apartment for a few weeks until she ran out of food. There was no living people in sight-just the dead.

And the dead were everywhere.

She could feel a sob rising in her throat. _Keep yourself together, Megan,_ she scolded herself silently. _They'll hear you._

She stayed that way for hours. The sun was setting against the horizon, and it would be night soon. At least it would be harder for them to see her…but it would also be harder for them to see her.

For the first time in her life, Megan wished she wasn't alone. Alone had always been better for her. She didn't get along with people well, and they didn't get along with her. They thought she was rude, she thought they were arrogant. But now, she truly wished that there was somebody, anybody, by her side. Someone to rely on so that she didn't have to sleep with one eye open all the time. Someone to talk to in hushed voices to pass the time while they waited for the horde to pass. Someone to cry to, to comfort, to laugh with. For the first time, she wasn't just alone. She was lonely.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely heard the sound of a gunshot firing nearby.

"SON OF A BITCH!" A man's voice rang out from down the street. "There are so many of them!"

"Dean, shut up and shoot!"

Megan froze. Should she risk looking out into the street? Would the zombies see her, or were they distracted with those two idiots who were causing a commotion out there. And what about the two men-were they friendly? Were they to be trusted?

Probably not, but she didn't have a lot of options these days. Slowly, Megan crawled out from behind the counter, and peeked out. She couldn't see much from behind the wooden planks on the windows, and shelves pushed up against the door. Hesitantly, she snuck over as quietly as possible, and moved the shelf over just enough so that she could get a good look at the street.

Two men, not much older than her, were at the other end of the street, trying to get this way. They were haphazardly shooting at the zombies who were now completely focused on them. For a moment, Megan considered offering her help, but ultimately decided against it.

_They obviously don't know what they're doing, making all of that noise. It would only put me in danger. _She convinced herself they weren't worth the trouble, but she couldn't stop watching.

They were making progress through the crowd. They were closer now; almost close enough to catch her staring at them. She could get a closer look now. The taller one had long, shaggy brown hair that was messy and uncut. He wore a plaid shirt and jeans. He was shooting with a handgun, but Megan could see another larger gun on his back, and she figured he had more. _They're dangerous._

The shorter one had dark blond hair and wore at least three layers of clothing. He had a gun in each hand, and was shooting down the zombies with surprising accuracy. _Are they military or something? _Maybe the military sent them to save people like her, stranded and alone. Maybe not.

She was once again shook from her thoughts by a scream. One of the zombies had come from behind, and grabbed at the shorter man. He collapsed, a gun went off, and the taller one rushed to his side. Shocked and scared, Megan stumbled backward towards the counter. She wanted to help, but she was frozen in place.

"DEAN!"

A few moments passed, but she didn't hear anything but the snarling of the undead. She was sure they were both dead until she saw the tall one appear at the door, holding on to the other one (apparently named Dean) behind him. He didn't notice her standing there; he just smashed the glass and pushed his way through, bringing Dean in as well. As soon as they were in, Dean collapsed onto the ground, and the other one shoved the shelf back into place.

"Dean, are you alri-" He turned around, and his eyes met hers. _This is it, _Megan thought. _They're going to kill me._


	3. Three is Company

For a few moments, it seemed that everyone in the room was completely frozen in place. Neither of the boys moved, nor did Megan. They just stood in place, staring at each other and trying to figure out if the other was a threat. Suddenly scared, Megan threw up her gun and pointed it at the one who was standing.

He put both his hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot! I'm not- we're not going to hurt you, I promise." As if to make his point, he slowly laid his pistol on the ground near his feet, and kicked it aside, away from them both. Megan let her gaze follow the gun, knowing she should probably pick it up just in case. Unfortunately, she couldn't find it in herself to move. "My name is Sam, and this is my brother Dean," Dean grunted in agreement from the floor below. "My brother… he's hurt. I need to help him."

Megan though she heard Dean mutter something under his breath, but she couldn't be sure if he was just groaning in pain or not. She had no idea what had happened to him, but she gave a silent prayer that he hadn't been bit. Hesitantly, she lowered her gun as well, but kept it gripped in her sweaty palms. "Yeah…yeah go ahead." That was all she could manage at the moment.

As Sam knelt beside his brother, Megan tried to decide what to do. They obviously couldn't stay here, not while she was hiding out. They could still be dangerous or just plain stupid. She couldn't take that risk. Either she'd have to kick them out, or leave the one safe place she had found in a long time.

Sam was assessing the damage to his brother, who seemed to be regaining his senses. "God dammit, Sam! Be careful." He moaned as Sam was trying to patch him up. "Just- just lemme do it,"

"No way, man! You've been bleeding badly, you need to rest. Let me take care of you for once," Sam argued back. Megan decided it was best to let them stay for now-the older one seemed to have taken a lot of damage, and it would be suicide for him to go back out there now.

Suddenly aware that she was hovering over the bickering brothers, awkwardly, Megan went to make herself useful by re-barricading the door. There was no such thing as too careful anymore. She had to be sure she was safe…and for the time being, that those two were safe, as well.

Once she was satisfied with the status of the door, she turned back to see Sam standing. "I think he'll be okay," he pointed at Dean, who was sitting, now, with a pained expression on his face. When he saw that she was staring at him, however, his face immediately brightened into a smile. "Thanks for letting us in. It wouldn't have been pretty if we had stayed out there for too much longer."

Megan glanced between the two. "Well, it's not like I had much choice with you two barging in and everything." She stated flatly, but smiled slightly at the look of embarrassment that crossed their faces momentarily.

"Yeah, sorry about that…" Sam apologized, pausing at the end, expectantly.

_Oh, right! My name… _"Megan."

Sam nodded. "Sorry about that, Megan. Do you mind if we stay awhile, just for a night or two so that my idiot brother over here can heal up?"

"Idiot brother who saved your ass," Dean retorted.

"Uh…" Megan swallowed, wondering what to tell the two strangers. "I guess for now…but I have some…others with me. A few people, actually…when they get back you'll have to ask them." She knew she was lying, but she hoped it wasn't that obvious to them. Her plan was that they wouldn't kill her or anything if they knew there were others on their way back, and that they'd be long gone before her friends were "overdue."

"Not a problem, sweetheart. We're lovable," Dean smirked, earning a half glare from Sam.

"When are they due back?" Sam asked, and Megan was glad he didn't ask where they had gone.

"I'm not sure…hopefully tonight… maybe tomorrow sometime?"

Sam looked at her with an odd expression on his face, and he shared a look with Dean before smiling and nodding. "Okay, then. I guess you've got us until then. Need anything?" She didn't like the look he had before, but for a moment she forgot about her suspicions. _It sure would be nice to have a couple of people around to help out, huh? _She thought to herself. _Someone to keep you company and keep you safe. _But Megan shook the thought away, quickly. She was better off on her own, with the only person she could really trust.

"Not really. Just someone to keep watch, I suppose." As she spoke, a clap of thunder rang out from outside, making her practically jump out of her shoes. Both boys noticed the terrified expression on her face, and she tried desperately to regain her composure.

"Are you sure this place is safe?"

Megan nodded. "Yeah I-We've been staying here for a while now. Those guys haven't been able to get in yet, and it should stay like that." Another roar of thunder.

No one spoke for a few incredibly awkward moments until Dean broke the silence at last. "Does this place have any food, cause I'm starving. I could really use some pie right about now."

Megan couldn't help the grin that made its way to her face. "Yeah… Let me check if there's any."

_**So this chapter is longer, but a little boring, I know. I'm trying to set the stage for later chapters, so let me know what you think!**_


	4. Home Sweet Home

Thunder crashed dangerously outside the small liquor store. If she had still been alone, Megan would most certainly have been curled up in a corner, trying to pretend she was still at home. Still safe. Luckily, she wasn't alone, not for now anyway.

She had the Winchester boys with her, now, and they were such boys. They bantered playfully with each other, and Dean kept winking at her lustfully while Sam rolled his eyes. Megan couldn't help but giggle as they reminded her of her older brother, Sean, who would never leave her alone and flirted with her friends. But that was a long time ago, and seeing the brothers brought back those memories as if they happened yesterday.

"Hello? Megan?" Dean's voice seemed to come out of nowhere. He sat beside her, leaning on an empty shelf, while Sam sat in front of them. Suddenly she remembered that they had been talking about…something… before she had let her mind wander.

"Yes? Sorry…I was thinking…" Megan apologized, feeling embarrassed.

Dean didn't seem to care. "That's cool. I was just asking you what you did, before…all this."

Megan shrugged. "Not much. I worked at a bookstore part time, lived alone…" She laughed humorlessly to herself. "I guess I was a bit of a loner, really. Back then I would call it "being independent," but now I see I was just being anti-social."

She felt like an idiot, telling these strangers all about her past self, but for some reason, it just seemed so easy with them. Both of them nodded, and Dean took a sip of his beer. "What about you two? What were you like before this?"

They were both visibly uncomfortable with the question, but Sam answered quickly. "We traveled a lot. I, uh, took a break from college and we went on a cross-country road trip." Sam and Dean's eyes connected for a moment before he continued. "But now we're all stuck here, huh? So I guess it doesn't really matter."

They chatted on an off for a few hours until she fell asleep. It was weird being able to sleep, knowing that someone was watching her back. Megan drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of their voices not far away, talking about beer and cars and someone named Bobby.

She didn't know how long she had slept, but when Megan awoke both the boys were awake, too. She opened my eyes drowsily and allowed her vision to clear. They were sitting farther away from her than earlier, and closer to the door. They were also closer together and talking softly, presumably so that they wouldn't wake Her. _Or so I couldn't hear their conversation… _She thought.

She strained her ears to hear what they were saying, but she didn't understand any of it. "So, what? Monsters can turn into these weird-ass zombie things too?"

"I don't know, Dean! Maybe. We don't know what they're up to anymore. There isn't exactly a police department and a newspaper up and running to let us know when something weird is going on. They could still be out there killing, or they could be dead, and we wouldn't know."

_Monsters? Killing? What are these lunatics talking about?_ Megan began to rethink letting them stay with her. They were obviously messed-up in the head.

"And what about the demon? You really think he's just taking a holiday during all this? I mean, you haven't had a single vision since this all went down…"

_Oh great… demons and visions, too? _ She started to wonder whether or not to let them know she was awake, when she heard something behind her.

She turned to see they back door of the store, which had a shelf moved in front of it to block it. Behind it, through the glass, she thought she say something moving. "Uh, guys…"

Suddenly, a rotten, bloody hand smashed through the glass panel, followed by many more. There were several zombies waiting outside the door, and their combined force was starting to push the door open. Megan screamed.

Panicked and frozen in place, she watched in horror as the door was pushed open, and the walking dead began pouring in to her once safe-haven. "Shit!" Behind her, Dean swore and pushed himself off the floor, stumbling a little in a drunken haze. He ran forward and grabbed Megan's waist, pulling her away from sure death.

Sam picked up the shotgun that was lying beside him, and started shooting at them as fast as he could-always aiming for the head. He shot a few down, but they had gathered a force to be reckoned with, and there were too many for him to clear out.

Dean, with Megan in one arm and his Taurus in the other, was also shooting at them, but they both knew it was hopeless. "We gotta get out of here!" Sam nodded in agreement and shoved the shelf guarding the front door out of the way.

Finally coming to her senses, Megan pushed her way out of Dean's grasp. She bent over and grabbed one of the guns the boys had brought that was now lying on the floor, and held it up for protection. "Come on, we're leaving." Dean grabbed her arm to lead her out. Megan nodded and followed Sam out into the street.

Dean slammed the door shut behind them, but there was nothing out her to bar the door, so the living dead were bound to come after them. "We gotta get _far_ away from here, man," Dean prompted as he ushered Sam and Megan down the street.

Sam shook his head. "Yeah, I know, but we can't go that far on foot. You're still limping, Dean!" Then he moved his gaze to Megan. "Is there anywhere safe close-by that you know about?"

"If I did, I would have gone there instead of hiding out in that store."

As she spoke, they heard the growling behind them as the zombies made their way out to the otherwise deserted street. "Just RUN!" Dean turned and shot a few rounds into the crowd of the dead. "We just gotta outrun this group, and we'll figure it out from there."

The other two just nodded, and followed his orders. The three of them took off running, albeit slower than they would have liked due to Dean's limp.

Eventually they found a neighborhood that seemed to be empty. The zombies were far behind them, now, and they knew they had to find a place for Dean to rest up. They decided on a house close to the neighborhood's exit, so they could leave quickly in the morning. They house was rather nice. It was two stories high and painted a bright blue color. When they entered the house (which Sam had to break into) it looked ransacked. The people who had lived here seemed to have grabbed as much stuff as they could take before hauling ass to god knows where.

There wasn't much food or drink, but there were real beds to sleep on and some clothes to wear. (It had been weeks since Megan was able to change her clothes, and she was praying that the people last here had left some decent girls clothes behind.)

"Home sweet home…" Dean muttered as he set down his gun on the coffee table. Sam snorted in agreement.


	5. Gone Exploring

_**Sorry this is so late…enjoy anyway! The next one should be up soon!**_

It was a full day of hanging around the musty, deserted house that Sam asked Megan the question she knew was coming. "What about the group you were with? You said they were coming back."

Megan was sitting by the window, staring out into the street. She didn't know why. There was no one out there, not even any zombies. Maybe, she though, she was waiting for the group that never would come. Sam came up behind her, settling down in an old creaky chair and pulling it toward her. From the couple days she had been with the boys, Megan still hadn't quite figured out what was so off about them. At first she figured it didn't matter, but if they were sticking together, she needed to know more about them.

"Right... my group," She stalled trying to think of some excuse when Dean limped into the room. He held a beer from the six-pack that he had found earlier in the house. It seemed that whoever ransacked the place didn't care for aclohol.

"Look...I'm gonna be honest. There is no group." They both looked at het with confused looks, tilting their heads in unison. "I made them up. I've been alone since the outbreak."

"Why would you lie about that?" Sam asked.

Megan shrugged, blushing. "I didn't know you guys. For all I knew, you guys were psychopaths that were going to kill me and take my stuff if you found out it was just me."

Dean snorted. "And what, you know us now?" He grinned childishly.

Megan rolled her eyes. "Well I'm pretty sure you won't kill me, so that's a start."

Sam clapped his hands together, standing up next to his big brother. "So, it's just us three, then. What are we gonna do?"

She and Dean didn't say anything at first. None of them really knew what to do in this situation. But Dean, at least, had one suggestion. "We gotta find us some grub, dude. I'm starving."

Sam chuckled. "Alright, that's a start."

/SPN\

They decided to make this house base camp and set out to find resources. The three split up to investigate the now empty neighborhood. It was eerie, Megan thought, walking along the streets that children used to play on, joggers used to run on, and cars used to drive on. Now there was no one around but her.

Most of the houses were left unlocked in a hurry, others were broken into already, but still a few posed a bit of a problem. It's not like she had ever picked a lock before, so she had to smash a window instead. Unfortunately, that created a lot of noise that nowadays could get you killed. 

A few blocks down, there was a cream colored house on the corner that looked untouched. The lawn was overgrown and the trees were untrimmed. The inside was dark, but she didn't see any movement.

Megan picked up a rock off the ground and walked up to the window. Checking around for any sign of zombies, she smashed the rock into the window as hard as she could. The window shattered, and she cleared out the rest of the glass still attached. She crawled through clumsily, landing awkwardly on one knee and one hand.

Shakily, she stood up, trying not to let the eerie silence put her off too much. There was nothing special about the interior of the plain house. She had ended up in the living room, which consisted of a worn couch and arm chair angled at a small TV. Megan could imagine a small family sitting down here to eat dinner and watch TV. Briefly, she wondered where they were now, but quickly put the thought aside.

"Hello?" She called out. He knew this place was empty, but she wanted to make sure. "Is anybody in here?" No response, as she thought.

First she went into the kitchen, which was adjacent to the living room. It was small as well; there was just enough space for one, maybe two, people to comfortably work. She went through the fridge first, but anything that could've been salvageable was well-expired. The cabinets gave her a bit more luck. She found some beaten up boxes of cereal and canned foods. She found a trash bag under the sink and stuffed everything into it, (including the rest of the trash bags). When she was satisfied, Megan decided to take a look at the rest of the house in case there was anything else worth taking.

The bathroom was well stocked with toiletries so she grabbed them all. The master bedroom was completely cleared out except for a stripped mattress and empty chest of drawers.

Finally, she made it to the smaller bedroom- the kid's room. It was certainly small, but cozy. The walls were light purple and the floor was covered with rugs shaped like bees and flowers. The bed was also stripped of its sheets and blankets. The closet had no clothing; instead there was a single teddy bear, long forgotten, lying in the corner. Hesitantly, she picked it up and stared at its old and worn face. She threw it into the bag.

That's when she heard a noise the front of the house. She froze, praying to God that it wasn't a zombie. She could hear someone- or something- shuffling around, knocking into stuff. She gulped, and decided to just crawl out the window rather than deal with the possible threat from outside. She tied the plastic bag and placed it by her feet as she struggled to open the window. There was some sort of child-proof safety lock on it, and she couldn't get it to budge. The noises had seemed to stop, which only made her more nervous.

Finally she managed to flick the switch and the window opened. As she sighed in relief, the door to the child's room slammed open.

Megan couldn't hold back the yelp of surprise and terror as she spun around to face her attacker- Dean.

"Dean?" Dean stood in the doorway, holding a filled pillow sheet in one hand, and his gun in the other. "Jesus Christ Dean! You scared me!"

Dean grinned, putting the gun back in his jeans. "Sorry 'bout that. We seem to have overlapped." He glanced around, and then his eyes travelled back to Megan standing by the open window. "What were you doing? Running from me?"

She pursed her lips. "I thought you were a zombie- or some unfriendly guy with a gun. Which, I guess, you kinda are."

Dean pulled his brow together. "What, I'm not friendly?" He rolled his eyes. "I'm the friendliest guy you'll meet nowadays."

"You're the only guy I'll meet nowadays besides Sam." She picked the trash bag back up. "Find anything useful?" She asked, gesturing to his pillow case.

"Got a bunch of water bottles and some toilet paper. How 'bout you?"

She shrugged. "Not much more. Should we go to a few more houses before heading back to Sam?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, the brat probably got loads of stuff. We gotta get more than him or I'll never hear the end of it. Come on, we'll go together."

He turned to leave and Megan followed. "Wouldn't we get more stuff if we split up?"

"Yeah, probably. But I don't want your sorry ass getting scared off and through the back window again." He looked back to see her reaction, which was an eye roll. Then he continued, mockingly, "Don't worry, I'll be here to protect you."

"Pssh. Yeah, okay,"


	6. Old Friends Die Hard

Dean led Megan into the next house. She followed close behind; obviously still jumpy after he had accidently scared her. Dean was still slightly limping from his injury a couple days ago. He hadn't said anything because he didn't want anyone- especially Sam- to worry. But honestly, it still hurt like Hell. Megan didn't say anything, but the way she was staring at Dean when she thought he wasn't looking said it all.

"I'll take upstairs. You look around down here." It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order. It was a hard habit to break, giving orders like that. Dean started to realize why his dad couldn't stop either.

The thought of his father hit hard. Since he died, right before the outbreak, Dean tried not to think about the man. It seemed all Sam wanted to do _was talk about it_. But Dean knew that Sam just didn't understand what it was like to have someone give up their life for you- to die so that you could live.

Megan looked him over. "Are you sure? You're still limping a bit... you really shouldn't be out here at all, let alone walking up and down stairs."

"I can take care of myself, thanks. I don't need you looking after me like some babysitter." Dean retorted harsher than he'd meant to. She didn't say anything, just nodded. He turned to leave, mentally kicking himself for taking out his anger on her. She was just trying to help.

Nothing came of the house. It was already ransacked and empty. The pain in his leg felt worse than before he'd left, and he figured it would be best to get back while he could still walk. Dean struggled downstairs and found Megan sitting on the couch. She was staring off into space, her face completely blank. He was about to say something to get her attention when something else did. A knock on the back door had both of their heads shooting to the door.

Megan stood up and glanced over at Dean, asking silently what to do. Dean motioned for him to follow him as he made his way to the door. The knocking continued.

Dean pulled out his gun, and aimed it in front of him as he swung open the door.

A girl stood in the doorway, looking surprised by not scared by the gun in her face. She opened her mouth slightly as if to say something to Dean, but when she looked over at Megan, who was hiding behind him, her expression completely changed. "Megan! It's you!"

Dean looked back at Megan, whose face also brightened. "Jordan? Holy shit, is that really you?" She quit huddling behind Dean and stood beside him instead. "It's okay, Dean. I know her. This is Jordan, we used to be neighbors."

Hesitantly, Dean lowered his gun, but didn't put it away completely. "Hello, Dean." Jordan's eyes flickered to Dean momentarily. Something in her eyes bothered Dean, but Megan seemed to know her. "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought for sure..." her voice trailed off.

Megan tapped on Dean's shoulder. Dean moved over to allow Jordan to come in. "This isn't where we're staying. We're just looking for supplies. You can come with us, though. It's just me, Dean, and his brother."

Dean shot Megan a look, but she ignored him. Jordan, however, lit up. "Oh, thank you so much!"

Dean cleared his throat. "We should get going then." His leg was only getting worse as he stood there. He needed to get back. Plus, he wanted to make sure Sam was okay.

The girls and Dean set off in the direction of base camp. Megan and Jordan were trading stories about where they'd been since the outbreak.

"I was all alone. I didn't know where to go..." Megan finished explaining. "I ended up barricaded in a liquor store- which is where Dean and his brother found me."

Dean listened to Megan's' story quietly. He knew what it felt like to feel all alone. That's how he felt the morning his dad took off for the demon without him, without as much as goodbye.

But just as Megan had found them, Dean had found Sam, and Sam would always be enough for him. But that didn't make him feel any less guilty.

"So where are you guys held up?" Jordan asked.

"Not too far from here," Megan promised.

Jordan nodded. "Good. Is Sam going to be there?"

Dean stopped in his tracks. "What is it, Dean?" Megan stopped as well. Dean pulled out his gun and aimed it at Jordan. "Dean, what are you doing?" Megan screamed.

Jordan was unphased. "How did you know my brother's name?" Dean demanded.

"Megan told me!" She insisted.

Dean shook his head. "No. I heard your conversation. She never once said Sam's name. So I'm gonna ask you again. How did you know my brother's name?

Jordan crossed her arms and smiled. "All of Azazel's buddies know." Suddenly black pooled into her eyes, covering Jordan's blue green eyes completely.

Dean heard Megan gasp as she backed away from her friend. "How is she doing that? Dean?"

Dean held out his hand but kept his eyes on the demon. Megan took it and he pulled her behind him. "She's not Jordan, Megan. Not anymore. She's a demon."

The demon snickered. "He's right, sweetie. Jordan was gone a *long* time ago."

"What are you doing here?" Dean growled.

"Well, I was looking for your baby brother...but I've found something *much* more interesting." She sneered.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

The demon squinted her eyes and tilted her head. "I don't know yet. But I will." The demons head snapped backwards unnaturally and her mouth opened. Black smoke that made up the demons true form flooded out of Jordan's body and flew through the air.

"Damn it!" Dean cursed as the demon got away. He rushed forward to catch Jordan's falling body before it hit the floor. He checked her pulse and her breathing, but it was too late. The poor girl had probably been dead for a long time now.

Dean laid her down in front of her, kneeling beside her. From behind him, a small voice asked, "Is she...is she okay?"

Dean sighed. "I'm sorry, Megan."

Megan knelt down beside Dean, and put her head on his shoulder. He could feel her shaking, like she was trying not to cry. He wrapped his arm around her and they sat in silence. Megan trying to calm down and Dean trying to figure out what to do next. Obviously demons were still around and still causing trouble. It would be a lot harder to track them down without being able to find news stories. But they weren't having trouble finding them, apparently.

_Oh, shit! Sam!_ If the demon found Dean, then they could definitely find his brother, who at the moment was completely alone. "We gotta go find Sam, Megan. He might be in trouble."

Megan nodded and stood up. "You're right. We don't want the same thing to happen to Sam," she looked down at her friend.

They were walking away when the now-zombified Jordan reached out and grabbed Megan's leg, digging its nails into her skin.


	7. Demons and Fathers

**_**This story is going to go in and out of canon. I want it to stay on track with the seasons, but obviously with a new character and a completely different universe, I'll have to change some stuff to make it work. Hopefully it all runs smoothly, anyway. Thank you for reading!**_**

Dean pulled out his gun and was about to shoot at Jordan, but Megan beat him to it. She stopped screaming long enough to get her gun and aim it right at her head. The force of the shot threw her back, and she fell out of Jordan's grip. Dean rushed to help her.

"Let me see your leg," he placed his gun down beside him and reached for her ankle. Megan let him examine it, but otherwise kept her attention on Jordan.

"Is she dead?" She asked. Dean glanced over at the gruesome sight.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's dead." Megan nodded. "Nice shot, though. You were faster than me." Dean was relieved that she was okay, and quite frankly impressed by her reaction speed. "You'll be fine. Let's go find Sam."

Sam was fine. He was actually surprised when Dean and Megan burst through the door, yelling his name.

"Dean? Megan? I'm here!" He called, jogging into the hall where they stood. "What the hell happened? What's wrong?" He could read his brothers face pretty well, even if Dean didn't want to admit it. And right now, he looked downright terrified. That is- until he saw Sam walk in, uninjured. 

He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Demons, Sammy. Demons are still out and about."

Sam ran his hand through his hair. "Damn. You guys ran into one?"

It was Megan who answered this time. "She was... possessing my old neighbor."

"I'm sorry, Megan." Sam frowned. "But you're both okay?" He looked Dean over for any injuries, but he looked okay with the exception of his leg, which he wasn't putting any weight on. Megan looked good too.

"As okay as usual." Dean walked past him into the living room, patting his shoulder as he did. He wasn't limping, but Sam could see that he was in pain and trying not to show it.

Sam knew that his big brother was hurting, and not just physically. Their father's death hit them both hard, but Dean especially. It was obvious that he had made some deal with the demon to save Dean's life, and lost his own in the process. Sam didn't say anything, but Dean was smart, he knew that he must have come to the same conclusion.

Dean had worshiped the man, and done everything he had ever asked, and now he was gone. But he refused to talk about it, and insisted he was fine. Sam knew better.

"So there are demons," Megan's quiet voice shook him from his thoughts. She was still standing near the door, completely still and looking smaller than ever. "What else don't I know about?"

Sam almost laughed. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

When Megan fell asleep on the couch, Dean and Sam took the opportunity to talk strategy. If demons were still out in the world, that left two questions: 1) Were there still other monsters? And 2) What did that mean for Sam? They were obviously after him for some reason.

"I guess this apocalypse was human-only," Dean shrugged. "Demons and monsters not applied."  
>Sam shook his head. "If one good thing was going to come from this..."<p>

"Yeah, I know. I was hoping too. But that's just not our luck. Now we gotta figure out what they want with you, and kill that yellow-eyed son of a bitch."

Sam sighed, looking over at his brother. "I'm worried, Dean. The demon said he had plans for me...what if-"

"Sam, come on now." Dean cut him off. "You know I won't let them get to you. Whatever their plans are, they're gonna fail."

Dean wanted to be as confident as he sounded, but he was scared. Before his father died, he left Dean with one last order- one that Dean wasn't sure he could complete. __You either have to save Sam... or kill him.__

__Save him from what?__ That was all his father said...and then he was gone. What was he supposed to do with that? His father couldn't actually think that Dean could...

"Yeah, I know you'll try, Dean. But the demon is strong- stronger than me, stronger than dad, and stronger than you. I don't know how we can possibly win this."

Dean didn't say anything. When they were little, Sam used to think that Dean was invincible. As long as he was around, no one could ever hurt him. But times have changed, and now he saw Dean as he was- defeatable. __That might be true...__ Dean thought to himself. __But if I will save my brother, even if it's the last thing I do.__


	8. Walking Out

_**I tried to make this one a little longer and a little more action-y (well that's not really a word…but you get the idea…) Enjoy!**_

_Dean crumbled to the ground in pain, wishing that Sam would hurry up and get back already. Not-Megan stood over him, grinning at his discomfort. "Come on, Dean. Get up- this is getting boring." She landed another kick at his bare side._

_Dean knew she would certainly kill him if he didn't do something about it, and quickly. He grabbed her leg and jerked it, sending Megan onto her ass. He climbed on top of her, holding her arms down. "Fun enough yet?" He sneered._

_Suddenly, Sam burst into the room to an eerily familiar sight. "I heard banging- what going on?" Sam looked down, confused, at Dean, who had a new cut on his forehead and on his side, half-naked and on top of Megan, whose eyes were murky and yellow, just like in his vision. _Shit...

"Sam...Sam!" Sam woke up with a start, sweating and breathing rapidly. Dean was kneeling beside him, looking more worried than usual when he looked at him. "Sam, you alright? You were having a nightmare or something..."

"Yeah… yeah I'm okay." Sam accepted the water bottle his brother offered, and chugged it down. Satisfied, Dean stood up and walked to the arm chair across from the bed Sam was sleeping in. It was odd, sleeping in someone else's house, in someone else's bed, but they had spent the night in worse places.

Dean settled into the chair and stared at Sam. "Was it a vision again?" He asked quietly.

Sam nodded without looking at him. He had had visions before- like of the woman who lived in their old house. They usually had to do with his family. Or the yellow-eyed demon. This one had the possibility of being both.

Dean wanted to scream. He wanted to cry or yell or _something_ because he just didn't know what to do. Something was wrong with Sam. Something inhuman. The thought of Sam, his little brother, who he had practically raised, turning dark side was just too much. If Sam did turn for the worst, Dean knew it would be on him. That was the only reason for what he was about to tell Sam. "Sam...I need to tell you something."

Now Sam glanced over at Dean. He could tell in his voice and posture that something was wrong- very wrong. He straightened up and moved to the edge of his bed. "What is it, Dean?"

Dean shifted in the chair, trying to figure out how to word it. "Before...before Dad..." he took a deep breath, feeling Sam's puppy-dog eyes burrowing through his skin as he took longer and longer to explain. "Before Dad died, he told me something. Something about you."

Sam felt his heart skip a beat. Just the fact that Dean was talking about their father was bad enough. But the fact that his dad's last words were about Sam…

Dean's eyes met Sam's. "Sam...He told me...that I had to save you. I had to save you...or kill you." He choked out the words like they were poison.

Sam certainly thought that they were. _Save him?_ Kill _him?_ "What the hell does that mean? Dean? Save me from what?"

"I don't know..." Dean's voice threatened to crack, and he was internally kicking himself for being so emotional about it. _You gotta be there for him, man...you gotta be there for Sam..._

"That's not good enough Dean!" Sam yelled. He was more than just mad or scared, he was indignant. Not at Dean, but at their father. But there father wasn't here, and Dean was, so he'd have to do. "What did he know about me? Is it the demon? Did he..."

"I DON'T KNOW!" Dean burst out. He closed his eyes and lowered his voice, trying to hide all the fear and shame in his eyes and voice that he knew was there. "Sammy, please. That's all he told me." He practically begged. Opening his eyes to look at Sam, who was red now, he continued. "But Sam, I swear, I am going to save you. No matter what it takes."

Dean swore to God and to his father and to anyone who may be listening. Maybe his promise was good enough for them, but not for Sam. Sam shot out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans and his gun. "Sammy, what are you-"

"It's Sam." Sam cut Dean off. "I'm going for a walk. I need to think." He shoved on his shoes and was out the door, slamming it behind him, before Dean could argue.

Dean wanted to chase Sam down and try to get him to understand, but he didn't have any words to. So he let him go, knowing that he could take care of himself, and hoping that he stayed safe. _He'll be back..._ he told himself, although he wasn't so sure. Anytime Sam has left him in anger, Dean had to be the one to go find him. He never came back on his own. 

The door creaked open slowly, and for a split second Dean thought Sam was already back. But when he turned, it was only Megan standing in the doorway. "Dean? Is everything okay?"

Dean sighed. He couldn't explain why things were most certainly not okay to Megan. She wouldn't understand. "Yeah. Sam and I got into a fight and he stormed off. But he'll be back."

Megan walked into the room, shyly. She closed the door as she came in and sat down in the bed. She didn't say anything for a while, just sat and stared at Dean.

Dean stared back. 'Seriously, Megan. It's fine. Sorry if we woke you up..."

"You didn't wake me up, I was already awake." Megan tilted her head and licked her lips. "I was about to go and see you before you left to help Sam."

Something was definitely off, Dean could tell. "Why were you gonna see me? Couldn't it wait till morning?"

Megan shook her head. "No. It can't." She stood up decidedly and almost strutted over to where Dean sat. Dean scooted down in his seat instinctively as she got unusually close.

"Megan-?"

Megan lowered herself down into his lap, draping her legs over his, and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, seductively. She leaned forward and put her lips against his- sweetly and tenderly, and then more aggressive. One hand ran through his short, messy hair and the other ran along his chest.

Dean certainly wasn't expecting that, but in his shock he let it happen, pressing her body close to his as she kissed him. Megan paused for a moment and let her lips hover over his. She gazed into his eyes as he searched hers for some understanding. "Megan...uh, I-"

Before he knew it, she was leading him to the bed and pulling off the jacket he had fallen asleep in, her hands exploring along the way. Dean's lips found her neck and he pulled off her t-shirt, exposing a faded blue bra and her bare shoulders. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and Dean couldn't keep his eyes off her; the way her dark straight hair fell over her shoulders, and every time she kissed him, he could feel it around his neck. She wasn't particularly thin, but her skin was smooth and flawless. For a moment he couldn't imagine anyone as beautiful as her.

Megan's fingers yanked at the buttons of his plaid shirt as she pulled it off of his body, her hands running up and down along his pale chest. She pushed him down gently and he sank into the mattress.

"You sure… about this?" Dean asked through panted breaths.

"Absolutely..." Megan whispered back.

She leaned in once more, but Dean abruptly stopped, grabbing her wrists and spinning her around, locking her in place. "You're not Megan, are you?"

Megan struggled to get free. "What are you talking about? Dean, stop it you're hurting me!"

Dean didn't budge. "No. There is no way Megan would do this." Still holding on to her with one arm, he reached underneath the pillow where he knew Sam kept an extra bottle of holy water, just in case. "Do you want me to check, or do you want to admit it now?"

Megan sighed, sagging in his grasp. "You Winchesters are too stupid for your own good." Without warning, she threw her elbow back, right into Dean's rib cage. Dean dropped the holy water as his hands flew to his side. Megan spun around, landing a punch on his jaw. He fell backwards and she took the opportunity to climb on top of him, holding his arms down. "You think holy water is gonna stop me? What am I, a demon?"

Dean tried to pull his arms out of her grasp, but she was strong. "Then educate me, bitch. What are you?"

Megan grinned evilly, and her green eyes shifted into a pale yellow. "I can be anything you want to be, Dean."

"A shape shifter? Are you kidding me?" Dean's mind raced to remember how to kill them. _A silver bullet or decapitation.._. "Where's the real Megan, then?"

Not-Megan shrugged. "She followed Sam out when he left. You didn't actually think she'd rather talk to _your_ sorry ass? Let alone get _i__ntimate_."

"Alright, enough talking." Dean rolled over, throwing the shape shifter off the bed. He rushed towards Sam's bag, where he knew at least some weapons would be. Before he could find anything silver, Not-Megan caught back up to him, and pounced onto his back.

He spun around, slamming his back, and the shape shifter, into the wall as hard as he could. Not-Megan clawed at his eyes, and then jumped down. She kicked at the back of his knee and as he fell to his knees, the back of his head.

Dean crumbled to the ground in pain, wishing that Sam would hurry up and get back already. Not-Megan stood over him, grinning at his discomfort. "Come on, Dean. Get up- this is getting boring." She landed another kick at his bare side.

Dean knew she would certainly kill him if he didn't do something about it, and quickly. He grabbed her leg and jerked it, sending Megan onto her ass. He climbed on top of her, holding her arms down. "Fun enough yet?" He sneered.

Suddenly, Sam burst into the room to an eerily familiar sight. "I heard banging- what going on?" Sam looked down, confused, at Dean, who had a new cut on his forehead and on his side, half-naked and on top of Megan, whose eyes were murky and yellow, just like in his vision. _Shit..._

When he had stormed out of the house, Megan had followed him. "Sam? Are you okay, what happened?" Sam didn't know how to explain something like this to someone who just earlier that day had found out that demons were real.

But he remained honest, anyway. "Just family stuff, Megan...I'm going to take a walk to blow off some steam, that's all."

He walked out to the curb, but Megan continued to follow him. "I'll come with." She said, simply.

Sam wanted to complain, but quite frankly he was a little glad that she came. Dean never followed him after fights. He just let him walk away, so that's what Sam got used to doing- walking away. "You don't have to. You can go back to sleep."

Megan shook her head. "I've been sleeping all alone for a long time. Now that I have people with me, I don't want to be alone anymore. And neither should you."

Sam couldn't help but smile. It sounded like something he would say. Maybe she was right; he didn't need to be alone. That was his problem- he felt alone. Everything that was happening to him was _just_ happening to _him_. He and Dean shared everything growing up, but now Sam had to deal with these visions by himself. Dean might want to help, but he couldn't understand it like Sam did.

The feeling that he got when they were happening- how real it felt when someone was being ripped apart or beaten. When he saw Dean in pain in his vision, he _felt_ what Dean felt.

He didn't want this power. He wanted someone to take away this responsibility from his shoulders. Standing there with Megan, he realized that he wanted Dean to do what he always did- fix it. But Dean couldn't fix this. Hell, even their father couldn't. Sam was all grown-up now, and he had to do this by himself, no matter how small and alone it made him feel.

Sam gave Megan a small smile. "Thanks." Instead of walking away, like he always did, he sat down on the curb. He was going to stay this time, even if he was keeping his distance.

Megan sat down beside him, and didn't question why he stopped walking, and Sam was grateful for that.

It wasn't until he heard something coming from inside the house that he got worried. "You hear that?"

Megan glanced behind them. "Is that Dean...?" She figured he was just as upset as Sam, if not more. Maybe now that he was alone he was throwing things in anger.

"Yeah...I'm gonna check on him." Sam got up to go, and so did Megan. She followed behind as they dashed into the house. "He's still in my room." When he walked in, followed shortly by Megan, he saw the fight going exactly how it did in his dream.

"Oh my god!" Megan exclaimed as she saw herself under Dean.

She didn't know what was happening, but Sam instantly understood. Shape shifter meant silver. Or cutting its head off.

Dean took his eyes off if Not-Megan at the sound of Sam and Actual-Megan barging in. Not-Megan took the opportunity to her advantage, throwing him off of her and lurching forward toward the bag of weapons.

Sam lunged toward her and grabs her by the waist, pulling her toward him. He kicked the bag to Dean, who rustled through it. The shape shifter threw her head back into Sam's face, catching him off guard, but not enough for him to let go. Dean found the box of silver bullets and pulled it out along with their corresponding weapon. He struggled to load it with shaking hands as Sam tackled Not-Megan onto the ground.

"Don't do this!" She screamed as she realized her fate. "I know things! I can help you!"

"Shut up!" Sam yelled back.

She wouldn't let up. "Please! You gotta believe me! I can read the minds of those a take the form of. This girl is different, she-"

A loud _BANG!_ Shut her up, as the silver bullet went straight into her heart. She went limp in Sam's arms, and he let her go. Dean collapsed in a combination of exhaustion and pain, groaning. "It's about...time you got here." He bantered between breaths.

Sam rolled his eyes and got up, holding out his hand. Dean grabbed onto him, pulling himself painfully off the floor. He glanced over at Megan. "You okay?"

Megan nodded, albeit faltering. "I should be asking you that...may I ask what the _hell_ that was?"

"Shape shifter. As the name implies, it can change its shape into the form of someone's person's physical appearance. It can also access the thoughts of that person. We've dealt with them before…" Sam explained as he looked Dean over. Other than some bruises and cuts, he'd be alright.

"Nasty sons-of-bitches, and really good shots too," he added, massaging his jaw.

"Here, dude, put a shirt on," Sam handed him the shirt that Not-Megan had thrown on the floor. "Why aren't you wearing it, anyway?"

Dean re-buttoned the shirt. "I don't know, man. It was a confusing fight. She was all over me. "

"Yeah, sure, Dean..." Sam eyed him.

Megan blushed as she put two and two together. "Oh my god...?

Sam looked down at the shape shifters body. "I'm going to…take care of this…" Megan nodded and walked into the room, looking away as Sam dragged the body out the door.

"Oh, this is too much…" Megan's voice was higher than usual as she tried not to show how much this was affecting her. She turned to leave, but didn't' actually go anywhere. As if the zombies outside weren't enough, Megan was slowly finding out more and more about a world she didn't want to be a part of, and it was terrifying her. She didn't want to be alone.

Dean understood immediately. He both remembered several different occasions where they had to tell ordinary people about monsters and demons. It was something they tried to avoid- they deserved not to know. But Megan knew, and it would be hard for her to get used to it.

Dean spoke up. "Wait, wait. I'm really sorry about this, Megan, but would you mind helping me patch up this cut on my head? It's hard to see for me to see… "

Megan didn't even hesitate. "Yeah, that's no problem. I don't mind."

When Sam came back after burning the bod outside, he smiled as he watched Megan and Dean settled comfortably on the bed as Megan patched him up. It was usually something he would do, but he didn't mind. Seeing Dean smiling made him forget for the moment how mad he was, and his dads warning.

After Dean was fixed up, the three of them stayed up the rest of the night talking. Megan told them about her old life, (as boring as she thought it was) and the boys told her about monsters and, more importantly, how to kill them.

Sam and Megan fell eventually dozed off on the bed, so Dean took the chair.


	9. Trouble in Paradise

They all awoke to the sound of growling.

Dean jumped up immediately and picked up a shotgun. Sam was close behind him, with two blades. He handed one to Dean. "Try to be as quiet as possible, Dean. We don't want to attract anymore _unwanted attention_." Dean nodded and accepted the blade.

Before they got a chance to leave, Megan ran up behind him. "Do you have another one? I can help."

Dean and Sam shared a look before Sam turned to Megan, sympathetically. "I think it's best if you stay back."

"But-"

"Stay back, Megan. It'll only take a second." Dean spoke this time, and it wasn't a suggestion. It was an order. Then he motioned for Sam to follow him as they made their way to the source of the noise- the front door.

Unwilling to just sit back, Megan rummaged through Sam's bag and pulled out a handgun. She clicked the safety like she had seen Dean and Sam do before, not sure how to even check if it's loaded. _Guess I'll find out..._

Meanwhile, Dean and Sam were at the door, preparing to open it and face the zombie outside. They shared a look and Dean silently counted to three before swinging open the cheap wooden door.

They had expected to see a zombie or two clawing at the door, but what they saw instead was much more terrifying. The street outside was absolutely littered with the bastards. Just overnight they had accumulated to at least a few dozen (that they could see) and they all turned to the sound of the door opening.

"Shit!"

Dean swung his blade into the skull at the one zombie who actually had been at the door. He pulled it back out and slammed the door shut as it fell to the ground in a lump of dead meat.

"We gotta go, dude," Dean breathed. Sam agreed without hesitation. They turned to see Megan, holding Sam's handgun awkwardly in her hand like she was afraid of it, which, to be fair, she was.

"What's wrong? Why are we leaving?"

Sam clenched his jaw. "There are a lot of them. It's not safe here anymore." He snatched his gun from her and replaced it with the knife he was holding. There was no point in being quiet anymore; somehow they bad managed to draw all the zombies in the area to them. _It doesn't matter...we just have to get out of here..._

The three of them quickly packed, grabbing what they could easily find and leaving the rest. Sam and Megan stayed silent as they followed Dean through the back door.

The fences had kept the zombies out of the backyard, but they knew what to except as soon as they made it out onto the street. Instead, they decided to go from yard to yard, climbing over fences and avoiding the street entirely. The tactic seemed to help- they saw very few zombies, and the ones they saw they could easily outrun to the next fence.

Megan was having difficulty keeping up with the hunters, who were much more athletic than she was. She hadn't run this far and this fast since high school, and there weren't fences on the track to jump over.

After a half a dozen houses or so, they reached the end of the street. Jumping over the last fence would mean jumping into the street, right into the ever growing horde.

Zombies were loud, so where there were several zombies, there were about to be a lot more.

"What do we do?" Sam asked, mostly to Dean. Dean racked his mind for ideas. He looked over at the Sam and Megan, who were both staring at him expectantly. _What the hell are you doing, Dean?_ Dean scolded himself. _They're counting on you. Do your damn job!_ Dean's inner thoughts, he realized, sounded a lot like his father's voice.

"Um, okay. So we need to get past that horde without them noticing us," he spoke his thoughts out loud to buy some time. "So... so we just have to disguise ourselves!"

"As what, trees?" Sam questioned.

Dean frowned. "Well, as zombies. We gotta blend in."

Sam and Megan both stared at him, confused. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Megan's head and she understood what Dean was suggesting. "Oh no... No I'm not doing that, Dean. You're crazy..."

"Do what?" Sam still didn't get it.

Dean bit his bottom lip. "We go back to one of the yards with a stray zombie and kill it. And then... _use_ it to disguise our smell."

"What? Are you kidding? That's all you got?"

"Well, do you have a better suggestion, Samantha?" Dean shot back. "Come on, we don't got all day!"

…

"This is so disgusting," Megan covered her mouth and nose as Dean cut into the zombie they had found. Its guts spilled out in gross pinkish clumps.

Dean tilted his head and swallowed hard. "Alright...let's get this over with."

Megan puked.

The three of them reached into the dead body, picking up blood and other things they didn't want to think about, and smeared it across their face, clothes, and exposed skin.

"I'd rather get eaten, I think," Megan complained when they were done.

"Let's just go," Dean said. They made it back to the last fence and climbed over. As they had expected, there were more zombies than they had wished to count, spread out as far as they could see. They all froze as the nearest zombie turned towards them.

Megan thought her heart was going to explode right then and there as it got closer. She wanted to run, she started to, but Dean grabbed her arm tightly and held her in place. Their eyes met and it was clear what he meant- _Stay still, damn it._

Against her better judgment, she did as she was told. The zombie was right next to her now. _This is it..._ she thought, but she didn't do anything. She breathed out a sigh of relief when it continued past her, then past Dean, and finally past Sam. _Dean was right! It worked!_

When Dean let go of her arm, Megan realized that she had also been holding on to his. She let go, and saw that her nails had made crescent shaped marks on his wrist, and she had actually scratched off some skin. She wanted to apologize, but they had to stay quiet- zombies didn't talk.

Sam took the lead this time, walking with a slow and ragged pace. He tried to imagine he was someplace else, and that terrible smell wasn't from him. _I'll never feel clean again._

Dean didn't like being in the middle. Sam was vulnerable in front, and Megan was vulnerable in the back. But if he made the sudden movements necessary to change that, it would alert the zombies around them.

It seemed like it took an hour to get down the street, and maybe it did. But when they got there, they realized they had a lot longer to go. The next street had just as many dead on it. _How did they all get here? What drew them over here?_ Dean knew the answer- demons. They had obviously found them earlier, and this is their new tactic to draw them out from hiding. _And don't forget the shape shifter..._ It seemed that something was drawing evil right to them- but what would do that?

Two blocks down, the horde had finally thinned out. They turned the corner and were relieved to see empty streets again. They had left the neighborhood, and ended up right next to a strip mall. There were about twelve stores in all, and the parking lot was deserted with the exception of four empty cars.

As good a place as any to stay.

"Fine, but we need to wash this off first," Megan started to wipe off the blood and guts.

"I doubt we find any running water..." Sam glanced around until he spotted something. "Wait, I think there's a lake or something behind that building."

They walked through the parking lot to the supposed lake. Low and behold, there _was_ a small man made pond behind it, surrounded by trees. "Oh, thank god. Our luck has finally turned around." Megan practically sprinted to the water and ran in, knee deep.

The boys followed, taking off their shirts and throwing them aside into a gross, bloody lump. Megan looked down at her own clothes. "One of these stores _has_ to have some clean clothes, right?"

Half an hour later, Megan came back to the lake where Dean and Sam had stayed at, cleaning up. She was dry and mostly clean, although her hair was a mess, and wearing a new green tank-top and jean shorts, along with black sneakers. "I hope these are your size," She handed them a stack of clothes each: jeans, a t-shirt, socks and shoes in each.

"Thanks," They both changed quickly. "I've never appreciated a washer and dryer this much before," Sam laughed.

Everyone was silent until Dean spoke. "We can't stay here. The horde could easily move this way." He didn't mention it, but he wanted to get far away from this area- he still didn't know what was drawing all these monsters toward them.

"But this place is great!" Megan argued. "There are lots of different buildings and they all have a lot of useful stuff."

Sam sighed. "I know, but Dean's right. It's not safe here."

Megan nodded, defeated. "I guess you're right. But we should at least look around and get some supplies. We left a lot of stuff back at the house."

"Fine," Dean agreed. "You got an hour to find whatever and pack it. Then we're leaving."

...

"Guys, I got _great news_!" Dean was beaming when Sam and Megan retuned. He held up a big red plastic jug. "In the auto repair shop across the street, I found like 6 of these babies, all full of gas."

Sam grinned. "So no more walking?'

"Nope. All I gotta do is hotwire one of those cars out there and we'll be set."

Other than Deans find, Megan brought a backpack full of clothes and water bottles. Sam found some cans of food and at least 7 or 8 jars of peanut butter. "What? It has a lot of protein..." he muttered at Dean's skeptical look.

They threw their stuff in the trunk of a beat up Ford and Dean hotwired it. Sam and Megan clapped and cheered when the car started. Dean got out of the car and pat the top of it. "It's not my baby, but it'll do..."

"Where to now?" Megan asked, climbing into the back seat.

Sam plopped down into the passenger seat as Dean slid back in behind the wheel. He brushed his fingers across the leather. "I don't know. As far as these 6 buckets will take us."

Once again, the Winchester brothers were back on the road.


	10. On the Road Again

**3 months later**

Together, Dean, Sam, and Megan made a pretty good team. Right away they had clicked, understood each other, and most importantly: trusted each other.

For three months they were on the road. They spent most of it looking for gas and they had to switch cars a few times, but they managed.

Everything went fine for three months. But then, something changed.

"You bitch," Dean laughed as Megan pulled his card out of the deck that had been their entertainment since they found it a week ago. It was missing a card or two, but they didn't mind. It was better than anything else they had. "How the hell are you doing that?"

Megan smirked and put her finger up to her lips. "A good magician never reveals her secret," She stuck out her tongue at him when he rolled his eyes.

They were hauled up in the back of a run-down minivan- the only working car they had found in almost a month, (much to Dean's dismay.) It was Sam's turn to drive, which was a much easier job now that they had no idea where they were going. Their plan was that at some point they would come across some living _humans_. So far, nada.

"Alright, alright. Give it here," Dean reached for the deck but Megan pulled it out of his grasp. "Hey! I'm trying to show you a trick,"

"You know card tricks?" Megan asked skeptically, shuffling the cards as she spoke. She was a great card player, always had been. She didn't play very often because she got so competitive, but when she did she really enjoyed herself. She was pleasantly surprised when both Sam and Dean were decent players themselves.

Dean snatched the cards from her hand. "Of course. I mean, I think I remember some... Sam had a magic trick stage when he was like 8 or 9." Dean smiled, remembering back to the 'good-old days.' "He _begged_ me to teach him some tricks. I actually had to go to the _library_ and read up on how to do them."

Sam laughed from up front. "I remember that. You bought me a trick deck and a little handbook with a bunch of tricks in it for my ninth birthday."

"Yeah, and you used it for like, a week before getting bored." Dean rolled his eyes. "But every once in a while, you'd ask me to show you another trick, so I had to remember them."

Megan's eyes flickered between the brothers she had gotten to know so well. She loved to hear stories about them when they were younger, if for no other reason than to see that genuine smile on Dean's face. Not very many things other than Sam could put it there. She could tell how close they must have been. She thought back to her own brother, but while she loved him dearly, their relationship would never compare to Dean and Sam's.

"Alright, then. Show me one of your tricks." She grinned.

Dean was preparing the cards when the car came to an abrupt halt. "What the hell, Sam?"

Sam ignored Dean's complaint. "Look! At the sign." He pointed to a cardboard sign nailed onto a wooden post that was stuck into the side of the hallway.

The sign read: ALL SURVIVORS WELCOME. FOLLOW THE SIGNS.

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered as he read the sign. "Maybe there are people out there, after all."

"Are they friendly?" Megan wondered.

"Seem to be. Should we check it out?" Sam offered.

Dean shrugged. "Might as well. They might not even be around anymore."

All in agreement, Sam drove off, following the cardboard signs.

...

It was a long drive, but it was nothing compared to the cross-country road trips Sam and Dean had in the past. Megan, however, wasn't as well-equipped for these things, and fell asleep shortly after Dean admitted he couldn't remember the trick.

Sam was still driving, even though Dean had offered to take over. "It's cool. I'm not tired, and it's kind of relaxing to drive."

Sam glanced up at the mirror to see the back seat. Dean was sitting in the middle seat. He was tapping his fingers and humming Metallica, which was weird because he usually did that when he was nervous. He had no reason to be now, unless he was truly worried about the survivors' camp. _That doesn't really seem like Dean..._

Megan was sound asleep; her head slumped on Dean's shoulder. She looked oddly peaceful, like she was dreaming about home.

Sam smiled to himself as he saw the two of them together. He didn't see his brother connect with people very often- except for physically- and it was a nice change to see Megan and him so close. Of course, Dean would kill him if he ever said that out loud.

Sam looked back to the road, eyes searching for another sign. A total of 15 signs so far had led them off the highway and into another small, deserted town in Rhode Island. "Dean," he tried to quietly get his brothers attention. "Dean, look,"

Dean looked where Sam pointed: another sign. This one was larger, and said in big letters, "WELCOME!" It was nailed onto the front door of a large church.

Sam took a deep breath. "You ready?"

Dean nodded and looked down at Megan. He reached over with his left hand to gently shake her from her sleep. She sat up and shifted over, yawning. "Sorry- where are we?"

Sam motioned to the church. "We're here."

...

Sam and Dean hopped out of the car. They went first, scanning the surrounding area for anything suspicious. When they were sure it was clear, they motioned to Megan.

Megan climbed out next with her .44 Magnum revolver, the only gun she could really use. Dean taught her everything he knew about it, and took her out to practice. She felt comfortable with it, safer, even if she had never shot anything living with it. _And I'd like to keep it that way._

They were approaching the door of the church when it swung open, revealing a young blonde woman. She wore thin black jeans and a black tank top. A gold cross hung around her neck, glistening in the sunlight. They lowered their guns. "Welcome, survivors! You have been saved!"

_**I want this to follow canon, so the next few chapters are going to loosely follow the end of season 2. I'd like to keep going into season 3, but we'll see how it goes. Thanks for reading, and especially thanks to those who have favorited, followed, and reviewed!**_


	11. Houses of the Holy

Gloria Sidnick never considered herself a religious person. The church didn't exactly approve of her lifestyle. But when the world ended, she was forced to change her mind.

She was alone, and had nowhere to go. The church down the street was excepting people just like her, so that's where she went.

While she was there, she didn't exactly "find God," but she did befriend one of the priests who ran the church: Father Gregory. He was a good man; young and vibrant. He kept the church together, even as things outside got worse.

At first, people lived in their houses as usual, and would come to the church for food and supplies. But as the police and other officials began to disperse, and life as they knew it crumbled, people stayed at the church instead. The streets were no longer safe, but Father Gregory was always welcoming.

They started out with about 30 members staying at the church, but those with family elsewhere left shortly after. Soon, there were a mere 8 of them, including Father Gregory.

Life in the church went on, and it went well. That is- until Father Gregory died. One unfortunate night, 7 armed men broke in and held guns to their heads. They demanded the supplies and food that the church had collected. Most members readily agreed, scared out of their minds. But Father Gregory would not stand for it. He stood up to them, and welcomed them to stay.

"Society may have fallen, but there are still good men out there. Stay here, with us. We can work together!"

The leader of the group was a tall muscular man with a strange tattoo on his arm. It was a triangle with a line cutting through it, and four more lines sprouting from the intersections. He listened to Father Gregory's plea as if it was amusing, and then he raised his gun and shot him down. They left with all the supplies.

The 7 remaining members had given up all hope. Then, one night, as Gloria sat in one of the pews, she saw something that would change her mind. The whole room began to shake, as if the Earth itself was ripping open beneath her. Statues still standing in the sanctuary shattered on the ground. Beside her, a pot of long-dead flowers fell off the pedestal and crashed onto the floor. She stood, trying to make sense of what was happening. Suddenly, she heard a strange whistling sound come from behind her. She turned frantically to see what it was. At first, it seemed to just be light: pure, white, radiant light. But as she looked harder, she realized what she was seeing. An angel.

This angel spoke God's word. She had been chosen for redemption. He wanted her to help God smite the evil, and rid the Earth of their influence.

As she later found out, the angel would give her signs when someone with evil in the hearts was near. It was her job to take care of them.

She explained her gift and her mission to the other members. Four readily agreed to help her with this heavenly task, but two others left that night.

Over the months that followed, they put up signs, welcoming survivors to their church. When they arrived, Gloria waited for the sign. If they were good people, they stayed with them in the church. If they were bad- they were killed.

So when three new survivors showed up at their doorstep, Gloria welcomed them with open arms, and waited for the sign.

...

Dean didn't like it. He was skeptical about this church the moment they walked in. There was something off about it, and he was determined to figure out what it was.

Sam and Megan were obviously oblivious to it. Dean could forgive Megan for not having a hunter's instinct, but Sam should've known better.

The blonde woman who had greeted them, Gloria, gave them a tour of the church. It was quite large, and even though there must have been over a dozen people living in it, there was plenty of room. Hallways shot off from the nave leading to several rooms that used to be offices and RE classrooms. What used to be in them was cleared out and replaced with mattresses, bags, and boxes. Dean was actually impressed with their inventory of supplies. They must have ransacked all that was left of the town.

Megan had started to get used to life on the road, but looking around at the church, she realized a car could never compare to a real home, and this church was as close as they were going to get.

"This is where you boys will be sleeping." Gloria led them into one of the hallways. "There are plenty of rooms, so you won't have to share." She turned and smiled down at Megan. "You'll be staying in the other hallway with us girls." She motioned for Megan to follow.

Megan turned to look at Dean and Sam before following. Dean winked and smiled, although he wasn't so sure he wanted to be split up yet. But with Megan distracting Gloria, he had a better shot at casing the place, _without_ an escort.

As soon as they left, Dean threw his bag into one of the empty rooms and patted Sam's shoulder. "Come on, let's take a look around."

Sam nodded, taking a moment to look at the rooms available. He chose one that used to be a classroom, which he knew because of the whiteboard on the wall. It still had half-erased bible verses written on it.

"Are those your brothers?" Gloria asked as they walked.

Megan shook her head. "No, just some friends, I guess. We met _after_ the outbreak."

Gloria frowned. "So you don't know anything about them before all this happened?"

_Just that they hunted monsters for a living..._ Megan thought to herself. "No, not really," she lied.

Gloria smiled again as they made it to Megan's room. "There's already an extra mattress in here. You can put your stuff in here and get comfortable."

Megan dropped her bag and sat on the mattress. "Thank you," was all she said.

Gloria left quickly. She had seen the sign- the angel had seen inside the newcomers and given her his decision. The two men were dangerous; they were guilty to their deepest foundations. They were not to be trusted. Megan, on the other hand, was innocent. She would stay.

That left Gloria with the unfortunate task of having to kill those boys without scaring the girl away.

_It's for the best,_ she knew.

...

"What are you talking about, Dean?" Sam whispered.

"I don't know, Sammy. I just have a bad feeling about this." They were wandering through the back hallways of the church. They were mostly going in circles or walking into closets, but Dean was determined to find something suspicious.

Sam tried not to roll his eyes. His brother could be so damn stubborn sometimes. "That's not good enough, Dean. I'm gonna need more than a hunch."

"Look, Sam. I just wanna check out the back, and see what they got. It's not like I'm gonna take anything. They'll never even know!" While they had boxes upon boxes of supplies, Dean had yet to see a single weapon that wasn't theirs. When he asked one member, Zach Smith, about it, he replied that they didn't need any weapons here. God would protect them. "I know they're hiding something. Call it a hunter's instinct."

Sam stopped suddenly, grabbing Dean's shoulder. "What the hell, Sam?" Dean turned to his brother.

"You're not gonna screw this up, Dean." Sam let go of him. "If they catch us back here, they're going to throw us out- and I won't blame them! We finally have a place to stay..."

Dean sighed. Sam was right; Dean was just going to get them kicked out of the one group of living people they'd managed to find. "Fine. But that doesn't mean this is over. I still don't trust them."

"I'm not asking you to, I'm asking you to trust me. If something's up... I'll be right there beside you to check it out." Sam waited for Dean to reply, but his brother just sighed again and nodded.

...

As Megan sat on her mattress in the middle of the room, she felt strangely at home. While she hadn't been religious, she had been curious and open-minded to the possibility of a god. It was strange, but even just stepping into the churches front door gave her a sense of peace.

She could tell that the brothers didn't share that same feeling, but they were, after all, monster hunters. It would seem that those who have seen and fought demons with their own eyes and hands would also believe in their opposite, but obviously not. Megan didn't think she'd ever truly understand anything about these boys.

Over the last few months, she had certainly gotten closer to them, yet she felt like she knew nothing about them. When they talked about their past, they mostly talked about hunting. Occasionally Dean would tell a story about baby Sammy, or Sam would tell her about the loving, yet ever abrasive big brother Dean. But she never heard them talk about any other family or friends or anything like that.

As if on cue, Dean knocked on her door, coming in without waiting for a response. "It's not past curfew yet, is it?"

Megan smiled. "Nope, I don't think so. Where's Sam.

Dean shrugged. "Talking to that crazy chick, I think." He sat down on the mattress beside her.

"She's not crazy. I thought she was nice."

"I don't know. I didn't like the way she looked at me." _Like she couldn't trust me...Well, right back at you, bitch._

"She reminds me of my mom, a little bit." Her and her mother hadn't always gotten along, but Megan loved her anyway. She was a kind woman, and her laugh was contagious. Now more than ever, she missed her. "You've never told me about your mother,"

Dean shifted uncomfortably beside her. "She, uh, she passed away when I was little."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Megan immediately felt guilty about bringing it up. Obviously he didn't talk about things for a reason.

"It's fine." The last thing Dean wanted was for her to feel bad for him. After a moment of silence, he explained, "It was a demon." It felt weird actually talking about it with someone other than Dad or Sam. "That's how we got into hunting. We've been trying to track down the demon that killed her ever since."

Megan didn't know what to say. She was shocked that he was even telling her any of this. It took a lot of trust to let that out, and she was flattered that he trusted her that much.

She cleared her throat to say something when Sam walked in. She was secretly grateful that he interrupted them. "Dean, I think you're right." He said, seriously.

_**I'm trying to update as much as possible. I've written many chapters, but editing and fact-checking takes quite a bit of time, which is what holds everything up. Again, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed. It keeps me motivated :)**_


	12. Skeptics

After he was sure that his brother was on his way to see Megan, and _not_ sneak around the church, Sam decided to speak with some of the other survivors. Like Dean, he had his suspicions about this place, but unlike him, he was willing to be patient instead of jeopardizing their chances of staying.

When they had first arrived, everyone was sitting in the pews. Now, they seemed to be scattered around the church, doing whatever jobs they were in charge of.

Sam thought it was best to start with Gloria, who seemed to be the leader of the group. _Where did she go?_ He spotted a man carrying some boxes across the hall. "Whoa, here, let me help you," Sam rushed over to him, grabbing a few of the boxes that were stacked on top before they fell.

"Thanks," The man said flatly. "Don't worry about it, though. I got it." He rearranged the ones in his hands, and waited expectantly for Sam to return the ones he took.

"No problem," Sam was hesitant, but he obviously didn't want any help. At first he thought he was just being stubborn, but as he handed back the last box, he got a glimpse of what was inside. _Guns?_

They had made their stance on guns obvious before- they were to be outlawed completely. They didn't believe in them. Apparently, one of the priests who had started this camp was shot not too long ago. They didn't want them to bring their guns in, but Dean flashed his cunning smile and convinced them that the guns themselves had sentimental value, but agreed to get rid of the ammo. _Well, Dean gave them all the ammo that they_ knew _of._

"Welcome to the camp, man." The man nodded quickly and scurried away.

Sam smiled politely and clenched his jaw as he turned around. _Dean was right, something's up._

...

"I knew it," Dean stood, shaking off his previous conversation. He didn't look at Megan when she stood up as well, but managed a sideways glance at her when she was staring at Sam.

"Right about what?" Sam's whole body was tense, and Megan knew something was wrong.

"You know their whole 'no-gun policy'? Well I just saw some guy carrying _boxes_ of guns, and who knows what else, off into the back." Sam explained. "And he certainly did his best to keep me from seeing them."

Dean was about to reply when he was interrupted by a high-pitched voice. "Hello, boys." Gloria stood in the doorway behind Sam. She was dwarfed by his 6'4" frame, but suddenly her smile seemed a lot more like an evil grin as her gaze quickly found Megan. "Hello, Megan. I need these two for a moment. I hope you don't mind."

"Um," Megan stuttered, not sure what to say. If Dean and Sam were that worried about these people, she didn't want to be alone.

Dean glanced at Megan. "Sure, no problem." Sam looked hesitant, but followed his brothers' lead, and followed Gloria out the room. Dean followed behind, but as he left he brushed by Megan, seeming to run his hand along her lower back. When he left, she reached back and felt the small pistol he had stuck in her jeans. She held it out in front of her and checked for ammo. It was full.

_Thanks, Dean._

...

Dean hated not having a weapon on him, but it was more important that Megan had one right now. She had given up any ammo she had on her when they came in, so she was completely defenseless by herself. Dean at least had Sam in case things got bad.

While Dean was already prepared to fight, Sam was more cautious. While he didn't trust them, he also knew there were a lot of reasons for those boxes of guns. He didn't want to be too trigger-happy.

"Thanks for helping me," Gloria said as she led them through the halls. "I just need help moving stuff, and you guys looked like you could handle it."

They entered a dark room, and Sam felt Dean tense up beside him. The door slammed shut behind them, and before they had any time to react, Gloria rammed into Sam, sending him to the ground.

Another figure grabbed at Dean, although in the dark he couldn't tell who it was. Dean swung his fist at the guy, and knocked him off balance. He lurched at him, grabbing for some kind of weapon. He felt a gun, but he didn't have a chance to wrestle it out of the man's hand, the butt of the gun went right into his face.

Meanwhile, Sam was struggling with Gloria. He had successfully knocked the gun out if her hand, but was too busy holding her down to reach for it.

"Why are you doing this?" Sam yelled through clenched teeth.

"It's God's will," Gloria hissed back. "The angel spoke to me, and told me of your true nature. You don't deserve to live."

Sam ignored the pain that came with that outburst. _What if it's true? What if she really did speak to angels?_ It wouldn't be the weirdest thing they had seen. And it certainly wouldn't be the first time they encountered something they thought didn't exist.

Dean fell backwards, holding his nose. The man, who he could now see was Zach, held the pistol to his face. "I'm sorry, but the angels want it this way."

Dean groaned. "I don't care _what_ the angels want, buddy." He snatched the gun, and kicked Zach in the crotch, hard. He went down in pain and confusion.

Dean stood, not even taking a breath before running over to Sam. "Hey, hey, get off her," he panted. He aimed the gun at Gloria as Sam released her. "What the hell do you want from us?"

"God has chosen me. It is his will that you should die." Gloria spat.

"She said...an angel came to her," Sam explained quietly. He didn't want to believe what Gloria was saying, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was right.

...

Megan clasped her fingers around the gun that Dean had given her. It wasn't the one she was used to-, that one was lying abandoned in her bag. _Why did I give my ammo away?_ Megan groaned. _Stupid, stupid!_

Luckily, Dean had been smarter than that. Her hands were shaking as she creaked open her door and peaked out. The hallway was empty. _So where did she take them?_

Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she tip-toed her way to the door leading to the nave. She peered through the small glass panels but to her surprise, it was empty as well.

As soon as she entered the room, everything started to shake like an earthquake. "What the-" She lost her balance and fell back on the floor, dropping the gun in the process. She quickly grabbed it, pulling herself back up into a sitting position.

Behind her, she could hear a slight buzzing sound, and she turned to it. A blinding white light appeared before her. She shielded her eyes, but when she looked again, it began to take the shape of a man.

"Who are you?"

The light slowly faded, leaving a tall, red-haired man. He wore the dark clothing of a priest. "I have been sent by God, Megan." His eyes narrowed as he studied her. "But it seems so have you."

...

With Gloria and Zach tied up, Dean and Sam left to find Megan. The rest of the congregation was still out there, and that had no idea how much they knew about "God's plan".

As Sam followed behind Dean, his mind raced. "Dean...do you think she was right?"

"About what?" Dean huffed.

"About the angel. Maybe she wasn't crazy- maybe she actually saw-'"

"Come on, Sam," Dean cut him off. "That's crazy. There is no such thing as angels, and if there _were_, do you really think they'd be killing people?" His voice was rough and dismissive. End of story.

"But, Dean. Think about it-"

"I did, Sam. For a good two seconds, which is as long as it takes to see that its bullshit."

They were about to reach the door out of the hall when they were stopped by a wave of people. It seemed the rest of the congregation suddenly came out or nowhere, and stood guard at the door. "Oh, come on," Dean groaned.

"We were chosen," a small woman with hazel eyes spoke. She stepped forward, and held out her hands, palms up. "Chosen for redemption. And so can you two, if you join us."

"Where's Megan?" Dean pointed his gun into the group.

Sam immediately grabbed his brother's arm. "Dean...these people are human," he reminded him quietly. He didn't think that he would actually shoot any of them, but he wasn't ready to take that risk.

Dean's face didn't change, nor did he put down the gun. "Did you hear me? Where is-"

"Dean!" Megan's voice rang out from behind the group. "Sam! I... I'm okay."

Dean immediately let his hand fall to his side. "Jesus. Come on, Megan. We're outta here."

"We can't just leave, Dean," Sam protested. "Angel or not, something is going on here."

"I think I know," Megan pushed forward through the members until she was standing beside Sam. "I mean, I'm not very good at this...hunting thing, or whatever...but I think it's a ghost."

"What are you talking about?" One member asked. "This isn't a ghost story- this is a miracle! They're talking to angels!"

Megan shook her head. "No, it- or he- came to me. He told me about what he told the others," She had this odd look on her face that Sam couldn't quite place. "But, he looked just like a man, and I felt really cold,"

Megan was worried that she wasn't making any sense, but for some reason she was sure that this thing was not an angel. She was sure it was a ghost.

Dean, however seemed to jump on the idea. "That would make sense. This thing has vengeful spirit all over it!" He looked to Sam for support.

Sam thought it over. He wanted to believe that this was an angel, but clues began to click into place the more he thought about it. _Damn,_ "The 'angel', Megan, what was he wearing?"

Megan tilted her head. "A priest's outfit, I think."

Sam sighed, closing his eyes, "I think it's the ghost of the priest who died here. The times all match up."

"Do you mean Father Gregory?" One man in the group asked. "You think...you think he's talking to them?" The congregation all looked up to Sam for an answer.

"He was shot here a few months ago, right? And shortly after is when the angel began appearing?" Everyone shared a look, nodding slowly as they connected the dots.

Dean shook his head. "Alright. Where's he buried?"

"Behind the church," A tall brunette woman answered quietly. The room was silent now.

"You gonna let us through?" Dean evened his tone.

Everyone looked at each other and then hesitantly made a path to the door. "Thank you," he motioned for Sam and Megan to follow, and then rushed out to the back.

...

Father Gregory had been buried only a few months ago, which meant he wasn't hard to dig up, but he also wasn't fully decomposed yet. "I can't believe we have to waste gas for this," Dean groaned as he conscientiously poured gasoline over the body.

"What are you doing?" An accusatory voice came from behind them. They all turned to see Father Gregory standing there. His face was pale and shocked. "Why are you burning me?"

"Because your killing people, dude," Dean stood, his hand sliding into his pocket where he kept a lighter.

"I am not killing anyone," he protested. "I am helping these people to help God. I was chosen- and I'm just trying to do what is right."

"You're not an angel, Father," Sam said gently. "You're a spirit. I'm sorry- but you weren't chosen for anything, you just need to move on."

Father Gregory's face twisted with confusion and disbelief. "You don't know what you're talking about. I- I'm just trying to do good!"

"I know, I know you are. But you did a lot of good when you were alive. Now it's time to let go."

Dean gripped on the lighter as he watched the priests face for any sign of acceptance. Luckily, he seemed to be calm, even if upset. "I understand..." Father Gregory said at last. He glanced up, squinting. "I...I think I can see it. I can see the light." He held out his hand and walked forward, and the three of them watched as he faded once again into a bright white light.

They were silent.

"Let's get the hell outta here,"


	13. Hotel California

The trio put the church behind them. Nobody talked about it, they just watched as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance, until it was gone. Out of sight, out of mind.

Dean was quietly relieved to be back on the road. Sure, he wanted what was best for Sam and Megan, which was a home. Or at least some place to call home. Dean knew that somewhere deep down, he wanted that too. But he was a hunter, and hunters were nomads. Whatever he wanted didn't matter. This was what he was good at: driving down the highway with Sammy at his side and a gun in his lap. Even though the world had all but ended, there were still monsters out there, and people to save. Who knows how many more travelers those pyschos would have killed in the name of God if they hadn't put an end to their delusions? This was what it meant to be a hunter, and if Dean wasn't a hunter...then he what was he?

As Sam sat in the passenger seat, he couldn't stop thinking about the priest. Father Gregory was only trying to do what was best for his group. He thought what he was doing was truly what God would've wanted. He did what he thought was right, yet he was so, so wrong. Honestly, Sam felt he could relate. Sam was always doing what he thought was right but nothing good ever came of it. Luckily, he had Dean to help him, but he couldn't rely on his big brother forever.

Megan sat alone in the backseat. She had really wanted this camp to work. She couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life driving to nowhere.

She glanced up at the front seat and sighed. Maybe she would, if it would mean spending that time with the Winchesters. There was something about them that drew her to them. She remembered her conversation with Dean. What he told her was so personal that it shocked her. He had never confided in her like that, and...It made her feel good. She couldn't really explain the feelings Dean gave her. Every time he touched her she felt warm and fuzzy, and she didn't want him to stop. She would deny it if anyone asked, but it was true.

Dean rolled the car into a parking lot of an abandoned hotel. It looked like it used to be a pretty nice place, but it had gone to hell in the last few months. Dean parked the car and turned it off. After a moment, Dean let his fingers drop from the wheel. "I figured this place would be good to stop for the night. Probably gotta clear out some zombies first though."

Sam got out first, running his fingers through his long hair. _I really need to trim this,_ he thought, distracting himself from his other thoughts. Dean glanced into the rearview mirror at Megan, who just stared back blankly. Dean wished he knew what she was thinking- it was easy to read Sam's face, but Megan could hide behind her stare easily when she wanted to.

Dean and Megan exited the car slowly. Dean gripped onto his gun, remaining alert to any possible threats. Megan, on the other hand, was too lost in thought to pay attention.

"It's a big building," Sam commented once the other two caught up to him. "Should we work it together, or split up so we can hurry up and sleep?"

Dean frowned. He didn't like the idea of splitting up- anybody who's ever seen a horror movie knows what a terrible idea that is- but he also knew how tired everyone was. It would be quicker to split, and cover more ground. That way, they could all relax. "We'll split up," Dean decided, Sam and Megan agreed.

The whole hotel was five stories high. Megan took the top two floors, Sam took the next two down, and Dean took the ground floor and basement.

Megan worked cautiously. She was supposed to clear all the rooms of any zombies, while also keeping a look out for anyone alive. The boys told her that if anyone alive attacked her, she should shoot first and ask questions later, but Megan was pretty sure she'd never be able to pull the trigger.

The elevators were, obviously, not working, so she had to walk up all 5 stories. She and Sam walked together until the 3rd floor when Sam got off, but they did so silently. Megan continued up for two more flights, and by the end she was breathing heavily. _As if today hadn't been tiring enough..._

Sam worked quickly. He snuck through the halls and made sure to open every door along the way. Behind one of the doors he heard growling. Quietly, he creaked open the wooden door. The zombie didn't hear him come in, so Sam was able to run up and jab his knife into its skull rather than waste bullets.

Other than that, the floor was completely empty. It was eerily quiet and dark, and it put Sam on edge. It wasn't that he was scared of the dark- but he _was_ afraid of what was in it.

Alone in the silence, Sam's thoughts shot through his head one after another. He thought about Dean and what his father confessed to him. He thought about the "angel" that wanted him dead. He even thought about Jess, and how much he wished she was here now.

Dean was much better at silencing his own mind. He swept through the ground floor, thinking only of his job. He didn't sneak around like the others, he just strutted through the halls, daring anything to come and get him. He kicked down each door as he passed it, and checked for signs of life. As he figured, there were quite a few of the dead stuck in these rooms. Zombies weren't particularly good at opening doors.

By the time he got to the basement, he felt an odd mixture of exhaustion and overconfidence. Maybe if he had been more alert, he would have heard the hushed whimpering sound coming from the next room, and he wouldn't have had so easily walked into the Dijnns trap.

He was walking through a doorway when he felt something hard and heavy hit the back of his head, and then he felt his face connect with the cold ground.

...

Dean awoke with a start. His eyes shot open as he took in his surroundings. _What the hell...?_ He was lying in a warm, comfortable bed, staring up at a popcorn celling. A woman he did not recognize was lying in bed beside him. He sat up, holding his head. It sure _felt_ like he had just gotten knocked out, but he couldn't feel any mark or blood where he had been hit.

He carefully crawled out of the bed, trying to not wake the strange and sleeping woman. He snuck out, expecting to see a hotel hallway like the one he had been in before. Instead, he found a living room and kitchen. _Where am I?_ _Suburbia?_

The sound of a car horn interrupted his thoughts. He went over to the window and pulled back the curtain, just enough to peak out. A white car drove by, honking its horn at some teenagers in the street. In shock, Dean noticed the house across the street, with its lights on and a man taking out the trash. _No...No way,_ he couldn't believe it. Everything was normal... _No zombies..._ _no dead…just, life…_

Dean felt like he had just woken up from a long, terrible dream, but he had the feeling that he had actually just entered one.


	14. What Is

_**Sorry it took so long for an update! I had a virus on my computer, which makes this bery difficult to do. Anyway, I should be updating more often now. **_

_**This one ended up being way longer than I expected, so I split it up into two parts. The second part is already finished, so it shouldn't take long to be posted. Enjoy! **_

Dean searched frantically for a phone, and dialed Sam's number. "Hello?" Sam's voice answered calmly on the other line.

Dean's voice caught for a moment before he answered. "Sammy, is that you?"

"Dean?" He sounded surprised to hear from Dean. "What's wrong?"

Dean took a deep breath. "I don't know, man. I don't know where I am. The last thing i remember we were in that hotel. I was in the basement and something attacked me. Then I woke up in bed next to some hot chick..."

"You mean Carmen?" Sam asked. He put down the book he was reading. "Dean, you're drunk dialing me,"

Dean's brow pulled together. "What? No, I'm not. Stop screwing around. Somethings upSam. The zombies are all gone and-"

"Look, man, you need to sleep. Just... get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Sam didn't wait for a response before hanging up the phone.

"Wait, Sam? Sam!" Dean closed his eyes and put down the phone. Something was obviously up- he strained to remember what had happened before he blacked out.

He had been in the basement of some hotel...Sam and Megan were upstairs. He was walking into a room when _somebody_ hit him over the head. _Who was standing behind the door...?_

_A Dijnn...?_ Dean considered. It made the most sense. They usually hung out in dark places like this- even if there weren't many humans around. Whatever attacked him was obviously something living, and only a monster could do something like _this._

"Hunny?" The woman in the bed- apparently Carmen- was standing in the doorway. "Babe, what are you doing up?"

Dean smiled awkwardly. "Hey... Carmen. I just uh..."

"Aw, you just couldn't sleep, huh?" She smiled, brushing her hand on his shoulder.

"Uh, yeah," Dean faked a laugh.

Carmen wrapped her arms around his neck, standing up on her toes a bit to see him eye-to-eye. "Well, why don't we go back to bed, and I'll see if I can do anything to help?"

Dean grinned. "Yeah...sure." He almost considered taking her up on that offer... it was his wish come true, right? But then he remembered the situation at hand, and decided against it. "In a minute- you go ahead."

"Okay. Don't stay up too long..." Carmen agreed, giving him a gentle kiss before going back into the bedroom.

Dijnns granted wishes- so was this his wish? He certainly never spoke it out aloud, which meant it was reading his mind. Dean felt his stomach clench. _Did that mean...? _He surveyed the living room, looking for anything that might make things clearer. He spotted a framed photograph on the bookshelf. _No... It can't be..._

Dean grabbed the keys sitting on the counter and ran out of the house.

...

Sam finished the third and fourth floor. He entered the last, empty room, and lied down on the bed. He could fall asleep right then and there if his mind would let him.

_You either have to save Sam...or kill him..._

Sam knew that there was something wrong with him, and he wished to God he knew what. What could possibly make his own father say something like that? And to his brother? He didn't want to be different- he wanted to be normal. Even in this world, there were still _normal _people out there, right?

He knew his brother meant well, but this was something Dean couldn't fix for him. Dean would never kill Sam, even if his father begged him to. Even if Sam begged him to. He would die himself trying to save Sam, and for that Sam was grateful. But now he had to be strong for once, and figure this out himself. He may never be _normal_ but he could still be _good_.

Sam's whole body went tense as he heard footsteps from down the hall. He tightened his grip on the gun and sat up. _Did I miss any zombies? Or are there living people in here?_

"Sam?"

Sam closed his eyes and sighed with relief. "Megan," he got up and went into the hallway. Megan was walking from the stairwell on the opposite end. "What's wrong?"

Megan caught up to him and shrugged. "Nothing. The top floors are cleared, now." She stared up at Sam, who was at least 8 inches taller than her. "So I guess that means we're gonna stay here for a while?" She asked after a moment.

"Yeah, i guess so. Depends on Dean, i guess."

Megan nodded and looked away. When she glanced back at him she had on odd expression on her face that Sam couldn't quite place. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"Yeah, shoot." Sam cleared his throat. He crossed his arms, which he always did when he felt vulnerable or nervous. Not that he should be. _I mean, this is _Megan _for petes sake. We can trust her._

Megan paused, contemplating how to put her thoughts into words. "Well, Dean...um, what was he like? Before the world ended? Was he different?"

Sam had to hold back a smile. Maybe Dean had a bit of a secret admirer... "He was basically the same. Still bossy, still an asshole. But he has always been a hero, even if it got him into trouble."

Megan smiled at that. "So he's always been like that?"

"No. He used to be...different. He was always so full of life, you know? But that was before..." Megan was about to stop him when his voice trailed off. She didn't mean to impose, but he continued before she could say anything. "Before our father died. It happened right before the world went to shit. It was a demon...the same one that killed my mother and my... girlfriend." Sam kept a straight face, but inside he could feel the pain of seeing Jess on the ceiling-feel the heat on his face- like it all happened yesterday.

"Oh. I didn't...I didn't realize-"

"No, no, its okay, really. You might as well know. Dean was dying. He wasn't going to make it, and... there was nothing we could do." Sam explained. He knew that Dean wouldn't want him to tell her all of this, but he went ahead anyway. "Our father made a deal with the demon- Dean's life for his."

Megan realized she was holding her breath. She couldn't imagine what that must have felt like to know that someone else, your father especially, died to save you. That would change anyone. "I'm so sorry," She practically whispered. Sam gave her a small smile of appreciation. "Thank you for telling me,"

Sam nodded. "Don't tell him I told you. I mean, you should know- you're like one of us now- but he doesn't really tell anyone stuff like that," They didn't say anything else for a while.

Megan repeated his words in her head: _You're like one of us now..._ They trusted her, which is something she had not felt in a long, long time. For Dean to open up about his mom, and Sam about his dad, really said something. She realized that if they were honest with her- then she should be honest with them.

"Sam... there's something I've been meaning to ask you about. I've been worried about it for a while now..."

Sam sat down on the hotel bed he had been lying on before. Megan sat down beside him. "What is it?"

Megan bit the inside of her cheek before speaking. "Well...do you remember what that- shape shifter, or whatever- said to me? Or rather, about me?"

"No...not really... what did she say?"

"She said that I was...different. That she would tell you both about me if you would let her live." Megan felt her stomach clench. She had been worried about this for months, but she didn't want to tell them. She was embarrassed, and a just little bit scared.

Sam, however, seemed unconvinced. "So? She was just trying to make a deal so that we'd let her live. She was lying, Megan. Shape shifters, demons, ghosts- they all lie."

"Yeah, but she wasn't the only one!" Megan argued. "The priest, from the church, he said something too." She paused. "He was looking into peoples souls- to judge them, or whatever- and when he looked into mine, it was different."

_That _got Sam's attention. He may not have been an angel, but that didn't mean he couldn't see things that living humans couldn't. Maybe Father Gregory saw something that Sam and Dean weren't able to. "How was it different?"

Megan had to blink back tears that were threatening to form in her green eyes. "I don't know. He didn't say. He said that I was, like, 'sent by God,' but that can't be right. Could it? How could I be any different that you or Dean without even knowing it?"

_Sent by God..._ That was a new one. Sam racked his brain for some monster that fit her description, but he didn't exactly have much to go on. Most monsters didn't even _have_ souls. _Damn... maybe I_ should have _let that shape shifter live. Maybe she would have been useful_.

For now, they had nothing. No information except the babblings of two monsters who probably didn't even know what they were talking about. Sam had nothing to offer Megan. "I wouldn't worry about it, Megan. We'll figure this out- if there's even anything _to_ figure out."

"Okay...thank you. I just... i just wanted you to know." Megan reached over and hugged Sam, who was a little surprised. Still, he wrapped his arms around her anyway.

"You're going to be fine, Megan. Dean and I will make sure of it."

"Thank you," Megan let go of him. "Speaking of Dean, you think he's done yet?"

"Probably finished awhile ago. Let's go get him."


	15. What Should Never Be

_**Here is part two! Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed!**_

Dean could not believe what was happening. His mother was alive, Jess was alive, Sam was in school like he wanted- everything was exactly how it should. It didn't make any sense, but it was perfect, and Dean wished that that was enough.

He knew deep down that this couldn't be real- could it? This was some kind of monsters trick. It had to be an illusion.

But at the same time that his skeptic mind was doubting this reality, the rest of him desperately wanted it to be real. He may have just been some drunk mechanic whose brother didn't even know him- or want to know him, for that matter, but everyone he cared about was happy. And if they were happy, he was happy.

It wasn't until he saw the half-dead girl appear and disappear before him that even that part of his mind had to admit that everything was wrong.

It must have been a Djinn, it was obvious at this point. It had granted him his unspoken wish: for his mother to live. Now he was in what he assumed was some parallel universe where she had lived.

So his mother was alive, but that meant the Winchesters had never become hunters. Anyone they had ever saved had died instead. Dean didn't think that he could live with that.

He knew he had to figure out who the hell that girl that was following him was- and reverse what the Djinn had done, as much as he'd like to stay. But he could hear his fathers voice in his head: "You're happiness for all those peoples lives- no contest."

He's right... Dean thought. I have to do this...

Deans heart was pounding as he and his apple-pie-brother creeped quietly down the stairs of a high-price hotel. He was sure that this was the same one he had been in when the Djinn attacked him, and he hoped that the Djinn would still be there. He hadn't wanted to take Sam, who was all but useless in this state, but he had insisted.

"Dean," Sam spoke in a harsh whisper. "This is crazy. Someone's gonna catch us down here and call the cops!"

"Shh!" Dean peered around the corner at the bottom of the stairs. The basement was dark and eerily quiet. It barely looked in better condition than when the whole place was zombie infested. "Keep your voice down."

"Holy shit," A they entered the room, half a dozen bodies hung from the ceiling. Each one strung up and hooked up to an IV. One girl, hanging from a rope in the middle of the basement, seemed to be alive. She looked terrible, like she was dying, and she was staring straight ahead. The IV was poked into her soft skin, and was draining blood out of her. Dean immediately ran over to her, holding her head in his hands. He took her pulse. "It's her."

"Dean, what's going on?" Sam grabbed his brothers arm.

"Shh! Come here!" Dean pulled Sam behind a wall, and watched the Djinn stalk into the room. It went over to the girl, who whimpered as he came closer.

She doesn't know where she is... Dean noted to himself. He watched in disgust as it unplugged the IV bag and squirted her blood into it's mouth. He willed his increasingly-frightened brother to stay silent as it wandered back upstairs-presumably to another hideout.

"This is real?" Sam sputtered. "Your not crazy?"

Dean walked back over to the poor girl. "It's not really granting wishes," He explained, although he knew Sam was not listening. He was more worried about high-tailing it out of here. "It just makes you think it has..."

"Dude, we have to get out of here," Sam cut him off. "That... thing could come back... alright?"

"I'm just like her," Dean realized. "I'm tied up somewhere in this place. None of this is real. It's all in my head."

"Okay, okay, you're right. You're not crazy- but we need to get out of here, and fast!" Sam argued, trying to drag his stubborn brother out.

Dean refused to be moved. "Your not real." He said, simply. He had known it all along...but now he was sure of it. "There's only one way to be sure." He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out the knife he had brought with him for the Djinn.

Sam's eyes went wide. He held up his hands and backed away, afraid of what his brother might do. "Whoa whoa! Hold on, Dean..."

"They say if you're about to die in a dream, you wake up." Dean held out the knife to hold off Sam. He just needed to wake up... If the Djinn had gotten to him, it could easily have gotten to the real Sam and Megan, too. He needed to warn them.

"Dean, this is not a dream. I am here, right now, with you, and you are about to kill yourself, Dean."

"No, I'm pretty sure," Dean considered it for a moment. "Like, 90% sure. But I'm sure enough."

He turned the knife toward himself, and was about to lunge it in when he heard someone else beside him. Mom?

Then, from seemingly nowhere, he was surrounded by his mother, Jess and Carmen. "Why did you have to keep digging?" Sam's face changed. He was no longer terrified, just... disappointed. "Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone. You were happy."

His mother stood in front of him. She smiled kindly and spoke with gentle care. "Put the knife down, hunny."

"You're not real. None of it is." Dean protested.

"It doesn't matter. It's still better than anything you had."

"That's not true!" Dean was startled by a new voice. He watched in confusion as Megan ran out from behind Jess. "Don't listen to them, Dean. They aren't real."

"Megan...?"

"I know you, Dean. The real you- the you who hunts evil and saves people long after the world itself ends." She came up beside his mother and pushed him aside, taking him away from his fake family. "You've done so much for so many people- don't let them trick you into thinking otherwise."

"This is everything you want," His mother argued. "We're a family again. Let's go home."

Dean's eyes darted between Megan and his mom. It was true- this was the life he had always dreamed of, but could never quite have. He wanted this normalcy- just as much, if not more, than his brother. Yet Megan was right too, he had helped a lot of people. He couldn't just throw that all away.

"Sam is back there, Dean." Megan grabbed his hand, getting his attention. "We both are. And we need you. Not just for the Djinn- we need you with us." Before he could respond, Megan stood up on her toes and put her lips against his. He felt his stomach flutter with a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time as she kissed him.

When she let go, he knew his choice had been made. He looked back at his family- at the life he was giving up- and whispered, "I'm sorry." Before shoving the blade into his chest. The last thing he saw was Megan standing in front of him as he blacked out.

...

"Dean?" Sam called out across the first floor hallways. He hadn't been in the lobby or the bathrooms, and he didn't seem to be in any of the room either. "Dude? Where are you?"

"He must still be in the basement," Megan shrugged. She would of thought he'd be done by now.

She followed Sam downstairs to the basement. There was barely any light at all, and she couldn't see anything. "Don't we have a flashlight or something?"

"No batteries for it." Same shrugged, pulling it out of his jacket and handing it to her. He had meant to find some in the hotel somewhere. "Shh- do you hear something?" Sam strained his ears. Someone was certainly down here- but if it was Dean, he would have said something, right?

"Dean?" Megan offered.

"Better safe than sorry," Sam whispered, taking out his gun. Megan followed suit. "Don't shoot unless you know its not Dean," Sam warned.

The two of them snuck behind one of the walls, and Sam peered through the doorway. Even in the dark, his hazel eyes immediately fell on his brother, who was hanging from the ceiling by a rope wrapped around his wrists. His face was drained of all color except dark rings around his eyes. His wrists were bleeding from the rope rubbing against his skin. His eyes were slightly open, but he was staring at nothing in particular, and seemed to be completely out of it. Across from him, there was a young girl in the same position. Both of them had tubes running from their bodies, draining blood from them.

Sam had to fight his instinct to run to Dean when he saw a man standing in the center of the room. He was pale and hairless, with blue menacing eyes and dark tattoo's running along his skin. A Djinn...

Megan brought a hand to her mouth to keep herself from making any noise. She had no idea what that thing was, but by the look on Sam's face, she figured it wasn't good. She put her hand on his shoulder momentarily to get his attention. She widened her eyes when he looked at her, and tilted her head to ask "What do we do?"

Sam willed himself to think. What he needed was a silver knife dipped in lambs blood, but that was basically impossible to get right now. I'll just have to improvise...

"On second thought, Megan... let me have that flashlight back," Megan happily obliged. "Stay here until I say so, okay?" Megan nodded. She was too scared to be of any use, anyway, she figured.

The Djinn walked up to Dean and unhooked the tube from the IV bag. He held it over his mouth, and let his blood drip into it. Megan had to look away before screaming.

Sam, however, took his distraction as an opportunity. Holding the flashlight tightly in one hand, he snuck up behind it. He was about to strike when the Djinn turned unrepentantly. He knocked the surprised Sam onto the ground, and the flashlight rolled out of his reach. Before Sam could get his bearings, the Djinn was on top of him. It held him down and reached for his face with its hand. As he did so, his eyes and hand began to glow unnaturally blue, and Sam realized what it was doing.

It's trying to do what it did to Dean. It's trying to knock me out and-

Sam's thoughts were cut off by the WHACK of the flashlight against the Djinn's head. The Djinn fell off of Sam, bringing its hands to its now bleeding head. Megan stood above him, holding the flashlight in her hands. She looked utterly shocked at her own strength. "Are you okay, Sam?"

"Yeah- give that to me," While Megan had been incredibly forceful with her hit, it wouldn't be enough to kill the damn thing. Without the silver knife, killing the Djinn would be similar to killing a zombie- you gotta bash it's brains in. Or, you know, blow it's brains out, His mind reminded him. He quickly pulled out his gun, and shot several rounds into the Djinns head. It seemed to do the trick.

Sam stood, breathing heavily. "Go...go get Dean. Make sure he's okay." He motioned to Megan. She stared at him for a second as if not comprehending, and then swiftly ran over to Dean.

"Dean? Dean!" Megan carefully untied his arms and helped him down. "Oh, God, thought we lost you."

"You almost did," Dean grumbled, half unconscious still.

Sam untied the girl and helped her down. She did not respond to his touch or voice, but she was still breathing. She needs serious medical attention. Sam thought, ruefully. More than I can give her.

Dean wrapped his arm around Megan's shoulder and she helped him to the stairwell. She was struggling under his weight, though. "Sam, I'm gonna need your help." She admitted.

"I can...i can do it-" Dean argued, not wanting all this help. He half remembered his dream if you could call it that, but he certainly remembered Megan's involvement. It wasn't really her, He reminded himself. All of it was just some supernatural acid trip. In an attempt to save his pride, he tried to pull himself away from Megan, but almost as soon as he let her go, he tumbled forward.

"Dean!" Megan clasped onto the his shirt to hold him up, but it did very little. She helped him into a sitting position on the stairs. "Jeez, Dean. Don't do that,"

Sam lied the girl on the ground gently. "Here, Megan. Can you carry her up to the first floor? Get her in a bed, and then I'll see what I can do for her."

Megan nodded, and glanced at Dean for a second before going over to her. She slid her hands underneath her and lifted the girl up. She wasn't the easiest to carry, but she was much lighter than Dean was.

Sam sat beside Dean as Megan went upstairs. He was looking him over for injuries when he realized Dean was doing the same thing to him. Idiot... I'm not the one who got caught by the Djinn!

"You okay S'mmy?" His words were slightly slurred. He had a gash on the back of his head which seemed to have stopped bleeding by now, but it left a lot of dried blood in his hair and his back. Sam realized how thin he had gotten, and wondered if he looked different too. They weren't eating as much as they used to, and they weren't sleeping as much. Even before getting attacked, Dean probably looked worse than ever.

"Yeah, Dean, I'm fine. What about you?"

Dean chuckled painfully. "Me? I'm great. Never been better!" Hen his face darkened. "Should've seen it, S'mmy."

"Seen what?"

"The Dji- Djinn. He... he made up this whole world in my head. He gr'nted me a wish- that Mom liv'd." Dean thought about what he had seen. He wised to God that's how his life really was- but it was all a lie. None of it was real. The Djinn didn't grant any wishes. He simply gave Dean the opportunity to write his own story, but that's all it was: a story.

Sam stayed silent, so Dean continued. "We didn't get along... i guess without hunting... but you were so happy. You had Jess..."

Sam didn't like the look on Deans face. He couldn't quite tell what it was...longing? Regret? Did he regret waking up? "But it wasn't real, Dean." He reminded him.

"Yeah... I know. But... it was great."

"Come on, Dean." Sam stood and held out his hand. "Let's go. I have to try and help that girl." Thankfully, Dean accepted his brothers hand and forced himself to stand.

He allowed Sam to lead him into on of the rooms and lay him down on the bed. "I'm gonna get Megan to fix you up, okay? You're kinda a mess."

Dean laughed. "Yeah...okay..." his voice trailed off as he closed his eyes.

Sam stared at him for a few moments before leaving to find the girls.


	16. O' Death

The girl did not make it.

She had required more than even Sam could give her. Who knows how long she had been trapped in that basement as the Djinn slowly drained the blood and subsequently the life out of her.

Dean had thankfully only been there for 15 minutes or so. He had quite a bit of blood drained from him, and whatever the Djinn gave him to keep him under was really messing with his head- but he would be fine. He would survive. He was passed out in one if the rooms on the first floor, comfortable for the first time in what seemed like forever.

When Megan and Sam were satisfied he would was going to be okay- they went off to bury the girl. They didn't know her name, or who she was, or what she was like. They didn't know if anyone was grieving for her right now- or of there was anyone left to remember her.

"How long do you think she was there?" Megan asked quietly, filling the dreadful silence.

Sam shook his head. "I don't know. She couldn't have been there too long..." His voice trailed off as he recalled Dean in her position, hanging limply from the ceiling. _He didn't want to let go...He wanted to stay in that dream world... _And could he blame him?

"I wonder who she was with." Megan continued, not really looking for an answer. She thought back to all those months ago when she was all alone in some liquor store. If she had run into some monsters trap, there would be no one there to help her. She would have suffered the same fate as this nameless girl- if it wasn't for the Winchester's.

Even if there was no one left who knew this girls name- Megan was sure she would remember her. She couldn't get this poor girl out of her mind. In a world full of flesh-eating zombies, what killed her was another, much less common monster that had existed long before any of this happened- and she hadn't even known it.

And then, of course, there was the problem of Megan herself. What if _she_ was some kind of monster, and she didn't know it. _Is that even possible?_

Sam sure seemed to think otherwise. He assured her that she would be fine- but she had no idea that Sam shared similar fears. He also feared that he was some kind of monster. The demon had plans for him, and that could only be bad news. He just hoped that he wouldn't be taking anyone else down in the process. _Maybe Megan and I aren't so different..._

"Let's go back inside. I have to check on Dean." Sam put his hand reassuringly on Megan's shoulder. He could tell that she was upset by the girls death...as she should be. He was upset that he couldn't save her, but at the same time he was a bit desensitized to death by now.

"Yeah, okay. I'm going to go...lay down." Megan smiled weakly and followed him inside. She chose the room beside the one Dean was in, and closed the door. She lied down on the bed and closed her eyes, and wished for sleep that would never come.

...

Sam peeked inside of Dean's room. His brother was still asleep. His breath was coming in quick and shallow gasps, but he was recovering. He would need the sleep.

Satisfied, he closed the door as quietly as he could, careful not to wake him. He saw Megan close the door to the next room, presumably to sleep as well. Sam realized for the first time in a long time, he was by himself.

_Finally... a little bit of privacy..._ He thought to himself, although he secretly didn't want it. He spent his all life beside his brother, and although he complained about his lack of space, he honestly didn't really mind.

Suddenly, he hears footsteps from the ceiling above. _There's someone on the second story...?_ He pulled his gun out, glancing at the two doors before heading off to investigate.

Sam snuck up the stairs, silently. He slipped around the corner, but so far saw nothing.

"_Sammy!_"an unknown voice rang out. "_Sammy..._"

Startled, Sam stepped out into the hallway, completely exposing himself to the two demons that attacked him from behind. One pulled him back, holding him in position while the other snatched the gun out of his hand.

Sam struggled to break free of their grasp, but they were much stronger than he was. Before he could call for help, one of the demons reached out and struck him, knocking him unconscious in three swings.

...

"SAM!" Dean awoke screaming. He was sweating and breathing shallow. His head was swimming and he felt like his body was on fire. _Effects of the poison... _He calmed down when he realized where he was- and what had happened. "Shit..." he sighed.

"Dean?" A small voice came from outside the door. "What's wrong? What happened?" It was Megan.

Dean closed his eyes. "Nothing. Sorry... just had a bad dream. That's all."

Megan creaked open the door. She walked in to get a better look at him. "Are you okay? You look..."

"Like shit? I know." Dean laughed. "I feel that way, too. Did we happen to have any water bottles left?" His throat burned from a combination of dehydration and screaming.

"I think so. I'll check the backpack..." Megan went off to find some water for him.

Dean sighed. He was starting to feel normal again after the Djinn's poison began to fade away. He pulled the cheap hotel covers off his body. He was still hot and sweating.

"Here you go," Megan came back in, and tossed him the bottle. She sat down on the bed beside him, folding her hands awkwardly on her lap. She had heard him call out while in the other room. She had been struggling to sleep for more than a half hour, but she just couldn't. She didn't understand how the boys could do it- sleep soundly through the night, every night, knowing what was out there. Especially now, with the zombies out there. But when she heard Dean scream, she realized that maybe this life wasn't as easy on them as they made it seem.

Dean sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to sit next to her. He chugged down the water, warm as it may have been, as if it was from the Garden of Eden itself. "Thanks," He smiled, tossing it onto the side table. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Dean asked about the girl.

Megan looked down at her feet, which were dangling over the edge. "Sam did what he could, but..."

Dean nodded. He didn't have much hope for her, but he had wished she would make it anyway. "I'm sorry."

Megan shrugged, hiding the tears forming in her eyes. "It's fine. I didn't even know her. I didn't even know her name." She paused, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. "You know, when I brought her up here, she woke up. Just slightly... she seemed confused and scared, and I tried to calm her down. She didn't say anything... I don't think she could... but she looked at me, made eye contact with me... like she was begging for my help."

"There was nothing you could do," Dean tried to console her, although the words felt empty, as he had repeated them so many times to his father and his brother, and countless other hunters. He didn't really believe it anymore...it was just something you say to someone who doesn't deserve to torture themselves.

"I know, I know... it's stupid. I just..." Megan took a deep breath, still avoiding Dean's eyes. "Life wasn't great before all this, you know? But it was decent. It wasn't so bloody and messy and there wasn't so much death. Sometimes I dream that I'm back at my apartment, and that everything's normal. The dream is so simple and uneventful that I truly believe it's real... and then I wake up and have to face reality all over again!" Now she just couldn't stop talking. She didn't know why she couldn't shut up, but she had so many bottled up emotions and they were suddenly spilling out of her like a dam.

"This life, this life isn't fair! People are dying left and right, good people! Then they're waking back up, getting back onto the streets, and just killing more! What's the point of all of this, Dean? Why would God do this?"

Dean wrapped his arms around her like he used to do to Sam when he was still little, and still needed the reassurance. He stroked her hair while she cried onto his shoulder. "Shh, it's okay, Megan." He shushed. "It's okay. There's no use questioning it, don't you see? The world is full of evil... I've known that since I was four years old. There will always be evil. But there's good too. You, me, and Sam. And all of those people out there, still fighting, still surviving. Don't ask God why, because God isn't there. But that doesn't mean there's no good."

Megan let Dean talk, but couldn't decide if she agreed. Nevertheless, his voice was strangely soothing and she was able to pull herself together before pulling away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying like this..."

"Don't worry about it," Dean rolled his eyes. "I won't tell Sam." He joked.

Megan laughed, and it felt really good to laugh. Feeling cooled down enough, she finally got up the courage to meet Dean's eyes, and suddenly she couldn't stop. She couldn't look away from the two pools of jade green eyes that couldn't possibly be natural, or maybe she just didn't want to. He was staring back at her with an expression she couldn't place, and she worried that she was staring for too long, and creeping him out. She blinked, turning her head to hide herself blushing.

She felt his fingers on her chin, turning her head gently to face him again. He still wasn't smiling, but his face was softened and his eyes tender. He leaned in until they were only a breath away, slowly, as if he still wasn't sure he wanted to do this. But Megan was sure, and she reached out, grabbing each side of his face, and pulled him into a deep kiss.

_**This is a little later than I'd like, so sorry. Thank you to all that have reviewed, favorited, and\or followed. I'd like to make each "season" about 20 chapters, but I make no promises.**_

_**And for those of you who may be wondering, there will be more zombie action coming up, soon :)**_


	17. He's Got Plans for You

_**Thanks for waiting patiently! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you to those who have favorited, followed, and/or reviewed!**_

Dean pulled away after a few seconds of not thinking- of being completely engulfed in the kiss. In her touch, in her hair, in her lips. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have..." He stood, putting as much distance between them as he could in such a little room.

"No, no," Megan looked down at the floor again, wiping her lips. "Totally my fault,"

Dean sighed, glancing over at Megan. She kept looking over at him and looking away again. No, it's really not... He thought about his wanna-be "fling" with the shape shifter, and the dream-Megan from his mind. He'd been wanting to do that for a while, even if he didn't want to admit it. It was pretty obvious now. "I should... go find Sam. He'll wanna see how I'm feeling..."

Megan shook her head, standing up. "No, no, you should lay down. I'll go get him." She half-smiled as she brushed past him on her way out the door.

Dean didn't have a chance to reply before she was gone. "Dammit," Dean pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes, internally berating himself. "Stupid, stupid," He muttered under his breath.

Megan slowed her pace after she was far away from the room. The hotel was huge, and there was plenty of space to put in between herself and Dean. "Idiot," She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. What was she thinking? She was traveling with these boys. She was close to them- sure. But not... intimate... There was no way this would work out between them- and then what?

She made it to the staircase and realized she hadn't even looked for Sam, yet. "Sam? Sam, you there?" She called back into the hall. Must be upstairs...

She made her way up, and walked the hall, calling for him. Nothing. "Maybe he's sleeping." Still not worried, she kept going up until she reached the final floor- and still hadn't found him. She double-checked the rooms on her way down.

"The Impala!" She realized. He had probably went outside for something. Megan wasn't thrilled about leaving the safety of the building, but she wanted him to check on Dean. And she wanted someone around other than the two of them.

Meanwhile, Dean sat in his room, staring at the wall. It was taking a long time for Megan to return with Sam, but he figured she was taking her time to avoid him.

Suddenly, Megan poked her head through his door. She was frowning. "Dean...uh, I can't find your brother."

Dean raised one eyebrow. "What? How could you not find him? Where could he be?" He strained to not make his voice accusatory. It wasn't her fault- he was just worried.

Megan shook her head. "I don't know. I checked everywhere- I even went into the basement..."

Dean jumped up from the bed, ignoring the dizziness and lightheadedness that came with the movement. "The dork. Always getting himself lost..." He muttered. "Come on."

...

"Dammit. Damn it, damn it, SAM!" Dean stomped his foot on the ground like a child throwing a temper tantrum. Where the hell could Sam have gone? Dean was supposed to be looking out for the kid, and now he's God knows where. It didn't even make any sense. Unless...

"Would he have... gone for a walk or something?" Megan suggested.

"For this long?" He growled. Dean knew what had happened to his brother. "No. It was the demon. I know it."

"The Demon? As in..."

"Yes. That one. He has my brother, and we are going to find him."

...

When Sam woke up, the first thing he noticed was his pounding headache. In fact, for a few moments, his headache was all he could think about. Oh my god, this really hurts. I need an aspirin. These lights are way too bright. Dean really needs to shut up with all the noise.

It wasn't until he thought of Dean, that he realized something was up. Painfully, he peeled open his eyes, trying to see past the glaring lights from in front of him. Flashlights... He was sitting in an uncomfortable wooden chair, in what seemed like an empty house. "Wha- what's going on?" He mumbled. As his eyes adjusted, he made out two men and a woman standing in front of him. The woman held the flashlight, and was pointing it straight at him.

"Mornin', Sammy," One of the men smirked. "Boss is gonna be real happy you're awake."

"He's got plans for you, big boy." The woman came closer to him, and for the first time Sam noticed her pitch black eyes. She reached forward and caressed his cheek. Instinctively, he tried to reach out and grab her hand, but his hands and legs were tied down. "Not so fast. He didn't want you going anywhere just yet."

The woman backed away, and Sam saw someone else across the room. Another man about Sam's age was tied up in a chair just like Sam's. He wore a torn up army uniform, and looked in even worse condition than Sam did. "How many people you got tied up in here?" Sam snapped.

One of the demons glanced over at the other man, who seemed to be unconscious, and then back at Sam. "Just the two of you... now, anyway. There were more, but... well, you'll see."

All of a sudden, the door beside Sam burst open. The demons surrounding him stopped smiling abruptly, and straightened their backs. Before he even saw the guy, Sam knew it had to be the demon. "Well, well, well. My favorite is finally here," The demon quipped as he strutted into the room. Sam turned and his eyes followed him as he made his way slowly toward Sam.

"What do you want with me?" Sam growled, his jaw clenched. He wanted nothing more than to jump out of this God damn chair and rip his throat out. He wanted to end this here. But instead, all he could do is strain against the rope wound too tightly on his wrists, and try and buy himself some time.

The demon smirked, his yellow eyes gleaming as he watched Sam struggle. "What do I want from you, Sammy boy? Well, I just want you to do what you were born to do." He answered, as if that explained anything.

"Oh, yeah? And what's that?"

The demon narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. Instead, he motioned to the other man tied up. "You boys grow up so fast, you know that?" He went on. "It's a shame so many of my special children didn't make it here... this whole 'zombie apocalypse' thing really hurt my plans, you know."

"What do you mean?" Sam demanded. He had almost completely untied the rope on his hands. His feet were another problem, but he'd cross that bridge when he got to it. For now, he needed the demon to monologue some more.

"You were all born leaders. You were all meant for greatness. But some... didn't make it. Those who did were brought here. One by one. I had to see which one was stronger- which one could survive the longest. Now you two are the last one's up." The demon turned his attention to his minions. "You know what to do." He said, simply. The others nodded, and then all three left the room.

"You see, Sam, only one of you is making it out of this place alive, you understand? It's either you are Jake over there." At the mention of his name, Jake began to stir. When he opened his eyes, he didn't seem surprised by his surroundings. He had done this before- probably with some other "special child."

"That's what you think." Sam countered.

Suddenly, the three demons were back, but they weren't alone. Each were holding a short rope that was attached to a zombie. The zombies were growling and trying to reach for the demons, but the rope secured their arms down, and they were too far away to bite. The tossed the zombies into the room and all three of them fell over. "No, Sam. I know." The demon motioned for the other demons to follow him out the door. "Good luck Sam. You too, Jake. You're gonna need it." Before he left, he glanced back and forth between the two defenseless men, grinned, and then snapped his fingers. The ropes, being the only thing keeping the zombies from attacking them, disappeared.

The door slammed shut.


	18. I Gotta Feeling

_Fuck..._ Was all that went through Sam's head. _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ He was pulling at the ropes binding his arms, but he was no longer thinking clearly. Two of the zombies were getting up, now, and the third one was crawling towards Sam.

_Come on, Sam, think._ Sam knew he was running out of time. He had to get free, and figure out a plan. He had little time to kill three zombies with nothing but a chair and some rope before they bit him or the other guy. _Jake..._

"Jake!" Sam called out, keeping his eyes on the zombies. "Jake, right? You awake? I could really use your help."

At first he thought the guy was still unconscious, but then he replied, "What's the point. Only one of us is makin' it out of this hellhole, anyway. If you get outta that chair, you're gonna have to kill me."

The rope was almost off his wrists, which was good, because the crawling zombie was almost at his feet. The other two were making their way to Jake. "It doesn't have to be like that," Sam argued. "We can kill these zombies an-and we can get out of here. My- my brother will have realized I was gone, and he'll find us..." He wasn't sure how far these demons had taken him, but he prayed that Dean would find him soon.

Jake laughed. Actually laughed. _He's about to die, and he's laughing at_ me? "Your brother ain't coming, man."

Just as the crawling zombie was reaching out for his leg, he managed to pull the rope off. He swatted the zombie's hand, and then quickly untied his right leg. He kicked it back while untying his other leg. "Come on, Jake. You can do this! Get yourself untied."

Once he was free, he ran past the zombie on the floor, and grabbed the one attacking Jake. It was...used to be... a woman, but her skin was greying and her left eye was removed. Just the smell alone made Sam want to vomit, and feeling her dead flesh against his fingertips as he threw her back did not help.

The third zombie turned its attention to Sam, now. It grabbed his shoulder with surprising strength, digging its overgrown nails through his jacket and into his skin.

"Argh!" Sam cried out in pain. He tried to throw it off of him, but the crawling zombie had now reached him, and threatened to knock him off balance by grabbing at his ankles.

_Please, God... where is Dean?_

...

_G__od, damn it! Where is Sam?_

Dean and Megan were in the car, with Dean behind the wheel. They left in a hurry, not even packing everything up. Dean only had one thing on his mind: find Sam.

They stopped at every building they came across, _every single one_, and frantically searched for any sign of Sam or the demon bastard who took him. So far, they had come up empty handed.

Megan knew that this search was a vain attempt. The demons could have taken him anywhere- who knows how much of a head start they had? Megan knew this- but she didn't know if Dean did. He probably didn't care. He didn't care how stupid his plan was, as long as he had one.

Megan closed her eyes and focused. _Where could Sam be? _She thought about all the buildings they'd passed on the drive to the hotel. She couldn't help but feel that it didn't matter. There were no people- no humans out there. Not very many, anyway. The demon wouldn't have to be strategic about where they brought him. They could bring him into a town square, and it wouldn't matter. They could literally be anywhere.

_Oh, Sam, _Megan imagined him tied up somewhere, being tortured or God knows what else. She could imagine him, waiting for her and his brother to come for him, not knowing that was basically impossible.

Suddenly, Megan heard a faint ringing noise. It was like a dog whistle or a high-pitched scream, and it kept getting progressively louder. She brought her hands to her ears. "Ah! What is that _noise_?"

Dean looked back and forth between Megan and the road. "What noise? Megan? Are you okay?"

Megan bent forward, bringing her head down to her knees. Her eyes were still closed, but she could see. Not what was in front of her, though; she could see _Sam_. But what's more- she could _f__eel_ him.

_He was being attacked by two zombies, but he was holding them off for now. There was another man there, struggling to untie the ropes holding him to his chair. She could feel the grip of the zombies on his body' she could smell the dead flesh and taste the blood. _

_The vision changed, and she could now see a house. It was old and abandoned, but she _knew_ it was where Sam was being held. The house was a light blue colored one story building with boarded up windows. It was on the corner- and from the sign, she could read one street name._

"Hillside. Hillside Avenue- that's where he is," Megan opened her eyes at looked at Dean, who was staring at her, bewilderingly.

"What? What are you talking about-? Megan, how could you possibly kn-"

"I don't know. I just... I know he's there," Megan admitted. "I can feel him. He's there. I-in a blue house on the corner." She didn't know how else to explain it.

Dean thought about Sam's powers, and wondered for a moment if they had stumbled upon one of the other "special children" of the yellow-eyed demon. But if Megan was like Sam, then why hadn't he taken her, too? "Megan, are you okay? Does it hurt? Your head, I mean, does it hurt?"

Megan shook her head. "No, no. I mean, I heard a really high-pitched ringing... but it didn't hurt. Dean, I know where your brother is. We have to find him."

Dean slammed his hands onto the steering wheel in frustration. He wanted to find Sam, too, but he wasn't ready to just accept what Megan was telling him. "I don't know where that street is, Megan! And quite frankly, you're scaring me! I mean, how could you possibly know-"

"Dean! It's right here! Stop the car!"

As suspicious as he was, Dean slammed on the brakes, and the car came to an abrupt stop. His eyes followed Megan's finger to the street sign. "Hillside Avenue."

"Well, shit," Dean gripped the steering wheel. He'd worry about Megan later- right now they were going to get his brother back.


	19. Can't Pull the Trigger

_**So this one is quite long. I enjoyed writing this one and I just kinda went for it. I'm sure y'all don't mind :) You guys know the Sam and Dean story pretty well, so I'm hoping to change things up a bit in this chapter and the following ones. Thank you to all of those who have favorited, followed, and/or reviewed. You're the reason I'm writing these!**_

Sam thought he was a goner. He was sure that this was the end. He was going to die in an empty room, trying to save a man who wouldn't even try to undo his own bindings. _I should've just left him, _ Sam thought, in hindsight. _I should have just made a run for it. _ But he knew that he would never have done that. He would have never left this guy to die the horrible death he was about to face.

He thought about Dean. His brothers eyes full of life, his enigmatic smile. And then he thought about Dean, finding him, much too late, in this room. He imagined his zombified body, his rotting flesh and bloody teeth. Dean would have to find him like that. He would have to shoot him- one bullet to the brain, to make sure Sam didn't kill anyone unlucky enough to come across him. But Dean wouldn't do that. Sam wasn't sure _what_ Dean would do.

But Dean had Megan, now. He wouldn't be alone. His big brother would be alright.

Sam didn't notice right away that Jake _had_, in fact, ripped off his bindings. When he saw Sam break free, he began tugging and pulling at the rope on his wrists, and in the time it took from Sam to save his ass, and subsequently get attacked himself, Jake managed to free himself.

He leaped forward out of his chair and into Sam. The two of them and the zombie attacking Sam collapsed onto the crawling zombie. Sam felt his elbow dig into it's flesh, and once again he thought about puking. The force of Jake running into them stunned the zombies momentarily, and Sam took the opportunity to reach for Jake's chair. He grabbed the leg of it and swung it at the nearest undead bastard. He managed to knock it in the jaw, but it was still alive.

For a moment, Sam allowed himself to believe that he would make it out of here alive.

Jake crawled on top of one laying on the floor. He punched it over and over, bloodying his fists and arms.

Sam knelt beside the zombie, and held the chair above his head, ready to bash its brains in with it, when the third zombie came at him. It grabbed onto his shirt and dug it's teeth into his shoulder. Sam cried out in pain, letting the chair fall out of his grasp. He could feel his heartbeat racing, and the blood pouring out of his shoulder, dripping down his shirt.

He vaguely felt Jake pull the zombie off of him, and heard the sound of the chair cracking open its skull. Sam clutched at his shoulder, trying to put pressure on it to stop the bleeding. It was doing him no good, though. The blood kept coming, pooling onto the floor as he slumped forward, and Sam felt the world around him begin to fade.

Jake took care of the last zombie before examining Sam from a distance. It was clear that he was bit, and if he was bit he was a dead man. He knew he had won. The yellow-eyed man said that only one could survive, and Sam was going to die shortly. He wouldn't even have to kill him, like he had the other children. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that what he had done was wrong. But this was a different time. This was the end of times, and the rules had changed. It was about survival, now. And damn it, he was going to survive.

He left Sam for dead, and went to the door. He turned the handle, but it was locked. He pushed on the door, trying to force it to move, but he knew it was useless. He could not leave until Sam was dead. The yellow-eyed man would not allow it.

Jake grabbed the bloody chair, and suppressed the tiny voice telling him to stop. _He's dead already. It's only a matter of time. All I am doing is stopping __the__monster__ before he becomes one._

He raised the chair into the air, but before he could strike, a bullet shattered the window and pierced the wall behind him. A spit second later, a man jumped through the hole where the window was, and into the glass. He held up his gun straight at his head, and Jake was sure he was going to shoot him right there. Instead, his eyes dropped to Sam, who was right below him. Almost immediately the man's face fell, and his grip on the gun loosened.

Behind him, a woman crawled through the opening. "Oh my God..." She gasped, taking in the scene. Her eyes connected with Jake's, and then fell to Sam just like the mans. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out of it.

The man finally flicked his gaze back at Jake, his eyes now filled with rage. Jake recognized the look, and knew instantly what the man was going to do. He dropped the chair and turned to run, but he never got the chance. He heard the gunshot before he felt it.

…

Dean fell to his knees beside his brother. He didn't see the bodies on the floor. He didn't notice Megan standing behind him. He didn't think about the person he just killed, who was just a person. All he could see was Sam. "Sam! Sammy, what happened?" He dropped his gun and held Sam's face in his hands, latching himself onto his brother. He gently brushed his long brown hair out of his eyes, trying to get his attention. Sam wasn't responding, but his eyes connected with his brothers. Dean knew there was a lot of blood. He could feel it. He could smell it. He could see it. But he couldn't tell where it was coming from.

He patted Sam down, feeling the warm, sticky blood on his clothes and skin, until he felt it- his shoulder. "Sammy, can you hear me? Sammy, please, answer me!" Dean tore off Sam's jacket frantically and pulled his shirt down over his shoulder to expose the injury. _No... no, it can't be. _

He recognized the bite mark for what it was. He knew what that meant. Sam was bitten, and there was no stopping what was next.

He felt Sam's body shake beneath his hands. "It's alright, Sammy. It's okay, do you hear me?" Dean felt tears fall from his cheeks, but did nothing to stop them. "The-the bite isn't that bad, okay? I-I can fix it back at the hotel. You just gotta stick it out until then, alright?"

Sam's eyes were no longer looking at his big brother. They were hazy and staring off at nothing. His breathing was uneven, and Dean was afraid that it would stop suddenly. "Sammy, please," He whispered, wrapping his arms protectively around his brother. His baby brother, who he was supposed to protect. From everything. He was supposed to watch out for Sammy. He was supposed to _save _him. But he had failed.

He felt Sam go limp underneath him, and Dean knew his worst nightmare had come true. He pulled himself away, literally having to peel himself off his brother from all the blood. "Sammy?" His brothers eyes were closed, and he wasn't breathing. Dean gripped tighter onto his shirt. "SAM!"

Behind him, Megan stood still. Her face was moist from crying as she watched the Winchesters. As soon as she walked into the room, she knew Sam was bit. There were so many bodies. She watched silently as Dean shot the man with the chair.

She watched as Dean clung to Sam, and cried openly onto his shoulder. She wondered if Dean was even aware that she was there. She would have let him grieve in peace, but there was something more urgent, first.

Megan knelt beside him and put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Dean?" She whispered.

Dean looked up with red eyes, and Megan would've given anything to fix this.

"Dean, I am so...so sorry," Her voice caught when she glanced at Sam's lifeless body. "Dean. He was bit. He's... he's going to turn."

Dean's eyes, which were usually filled with a myriad of different unreadable emotions all at once, were just sad. He nodded, slightly, acknowledging Megan's words. Without fully letting go of his brother, Dean stood, and so did Megan. "We're taking him back to the hotel."

Megan's eyes widened. "What? Dean..."

Dean shook his head before she could continue. "Don't argue with me. Not now." His voice was so broken, Megan couldn't help but accept.

"Okay, Dean... okay..."

…

Sam's body was laid out on the hotel bed.

Dean sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs beside the bed, and stared at him. His gaze never left his brother, even when Megan was in the room.

Megan was worried about Dean. She was deeply hurt by what happened to Sam, and she could only imagine how much worse it must have been for Dean. She recalled her conversation with Sam, where he told her about their dad. Dean had lost so many people, and she mourned for him. She knew Dean needed time, but he couldn't have it. It was only a matter of time before Sam woke up...except it wouldn't be Sam. It would be a thoughtless, remorseless monster that didn't care about anything except killing and eating. She didn't want Dean to be there for that.

"Dean, I know that you're-"

"No, you don't." Dean spoke evenly. "You don't know _anything_ about me, right now, okay? Can you just leave, please?"

Megan's heart broke just a little bit more, but she didn't let up. "Dean, I'm sorry. You're right, I don't know what you are going through. But you and I both know what's going to happen... and I... I need to make sure it doesn't." The thought of taking that responsibility into her own hands was almost unbearable, but she knew she had to. Dean would never do it.

"I said, LEAVE!" Dean yelled, making Megan flinch. He didn't look up, but he heard her footsteps fade away, and the door close, gently.

When he knew she was gone, Dean put his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry, Sammy... I'm so sorry."

He didn't know how long he sat there like that, apologizing over and over to someone who wouldn't hear him. "This should have never happened. I... I was supposed to protect you, and I failed." He gulped down the raging emotions he felt. "I guess that's what I do, huh? I let down everyone that I love..."

He let his words hang in the air. Sam would never hear those words. He would never hear Dean again.

Dean could hear his fathers voice in his head. Since he had died, he had heard it a lot. But now it was much worse. _What did I tell you, huh Dean? Watch out for Sammy. That was your job! Your one job, and you screwed it up! All you were good for was protecting him, and now what are you gonna do? Huh? _What are you gonna do?

Dean stood, suddenly, casting a quick glance at Sam before rushing out the door. He knew what he was going to do. He was going to do his job.

…

Megan sat in the hallway and cried.

She cried silently for Sam. For Dean. For everyone still alive in this screwed up world. She cried until she couldn't anymore. Then she just sat with her knees close to her chest, her head resting on her knees, and waited.

She waited for Dean to come out. Or for a scream signifying the inevitable. Or a gunshot meaning it was over.

When Dean did come out, however, he did not seem to see her. He practically ran out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. "Dean?" He didn't respond. He pushed through the front doors and disappeared. Megan stood up warily and followed him. Before she even reached the doors, she heard the car engine start. She got outside just in time to watch him drive away without even looking back.

Megan knew rationally that Dean just needed space. He just needed some time to himself to let out his anger and frustration and sorrow. Megan knew she needed that too, but something in the back of her mind told her he wasn't coming back.

_He's leaving. For good. Without Sam he has no reason to stay._

Megan tried to shake off the feeling, and went back inside. She knew what she had to do. If Dean came back, he would be pissed, but maybe he wasn't coming back, anyway. Either way, she wasn't letting Sam become a zombie. She knew how much he feared becoming a monster, and she wouldn't let him become one.

She gripped onto her pistol, causing her knuckles to go white. When she creaked open the door and peered in, it almost looked like he was sleeping. His face was peaceful and calm yet pale void of life. She stopped when she was standing right beside him. "I'm so sorry, Sam." She whispered. She raised the gun. The end of it was just a few inches from his face. "I have to... you'd understand..."

She felt the trigger beneath her finger. Her whole body tensed in anticipation of the shot, but she couldn't pull the trigger. "Damn it!" She put the gun on the side table before completely falling apart. "Damn it Sam! I'm sorry. I was supposed tuh..." She was sobbing again. "I can't... I can't do it..." She knelt beside the bed and grabbed Sam's sleeve. She clenched her fingers around the fabric ad let her head fall onto his chest.

Her tears soaked his already bloodstained shirt as she weeped into him. "What are we going to do, Sam? Me and Dean... what are we gonna do without you?" Beneath her, she felt something move. She hushed herself and listened, and she heard a faint gurgling noise. She raised her head and let go of him. "Sam?" She whispered, her voice garbled with confusion and hope.

She was hoping to see Sam sit up, and open his hazel eyes and smile warmly at her. She wanted him to hold her and tell her that he was fine, that this was all some twisted dream.

She didn't get what she hoped for.

Sam's eyes shot open, but they were no longer full of life. They were glazed and hazy. He opened his mouth, but no reassuring words came out- just a low growl.

Realizing what had happened, Megan pushed herself away from Sam, falling back onto the carpet. "Oh no, Sam. Please..." _He turned..._

Sam rose slowly, and blankly stared at Megan. In that split second, Megan thought that maybe he recognized her. But as quickly as the idea came to mind, it was stuck down. Sam lunged at her- albeit, clumsily. Megan screamed and kicked at him as his nails scratched at her skin. He fell off the bed, landing on her legs. Megan tried to crawl away, but even dead Sam was stronger than her.

Megan saw the gun on the side table. _I need to get to that gun... _

…

Dean stood at the crossroads. He didn't have all the materials needed to summon a crossroads demon, but what he had he stuck in a small box and buried it. "Come on you son of a bitch," Dean yelled out, hoarsely. "You know why I'm here. And I know your all desperate a piece of _this._" He taunted, hoping that the demonic bounty on his head was enough to get the demon here on its own.

"Well, well, well. What a surprise- a Winchester trying to sell his soul." Dean turned at the sound of a woman's voice. The demon took the body of a pretty brunette woman. Her eyes were black pits as she stared at Dean. "I feel like I've seen this all before."

"Can you bring Sam back?" Dean cut to the point. "Well?"

"For a price," The demon cocked its head to the side, grinning evilly. "But I don't know why I would. I mean, do you really want to bring little Sammy back into _this _world? I mean, work is scarce these days. So little humans left; so few souls willing to sell."

Dean ignored her. "You bring Sam back, and I get 10 years. That's the deal."

The demon laughed. "10 years? You've got to be kidding me. Did you hear me? Times are tough for us all. I need souls, and I need them fast. Not 10 years from now."

Dean pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. "That's the deal you give _everyone. I-"_

The demon raised one eyebrow. "I'll give you one year." Before Dean could protest she raised her hand to stop him. "It's a better deal than your daddy ever got."

Dean crossed his arms, debating the demons offer. He wanted Sam back, _oh God _did he want him back, safe and sound. The thought of Sam as one of those undead monsters was too much, but the thought of having to shoot him was even worse.

"Fine, then. Have fun burying your brother, Winchester." The demon shrugged and turned, only making it two steps before Dean was calling her back.

_Winchesters. _She rolled her eyes. "That's what I thought."

…

Megan hooked her fingers into a fistful of his hair, and pulled his head upward, keeping his teeth as far away from her skin as possible. Sam grabbed at her, but she managed to get her legs free and run for the gun. Her hand reached out, Megan tripped in her hurry, but managed to snatch it on her way to the ground.

She turned and pointed the gun at his head once again, this time with a renewed sense of purpose. Sam twisted to see her, grasping at her thoughtlessly. "I'm sorry, Sam."

She was about to pull the trigger, when Sam suddenly stopped.

He stopped growling. His hands fell to his sides. His lifeless eyes narrowed as he stared straightforward. Then, abruptly, he gasped and began to convulse like he was having a seizure.

Megan, scared and bewildered, couldn't do anything but freeze where she was- curled up with both hands gripping the gun.

Sam stopped jolting and fell backwards into a heap, as still as he was before re-awaking.

Megan did not move. She didn't even blink as she kept Sam in her sight, waiting for something even more terrifying to happen. She wished for nothing more that for Dean to be here, now.

…

A moan escaped Sam's lips. His head hurt, but not as much as his shoulder. He blinked his eyes open and immediately recognized his surroundings as a hotel room. _Like the hotel Dean and I are staying at until Dad gets back from his hunt._

No, that was a long time ago. That was years in the past. No, this hotel was like the one he, Dean, and Megan were calling home for the time being. But why was he on the floor?

He sat up, his right arm reaching for his left shoulder. There was a little blood, but it was dry, so the wound was old.

Only then did his eyes finally find Megan, shrunk back beside the bedside table, her eyes wide and her hands trembling around her gun. "Megan?" He put his hands up, gesturing that he meant no harm. "Megan, what happened? Are you okay?"

Megan's mouth opened and closed, and then opened again. "Sam?" Her voice was quiet and as shaky as she was. "Is that really you?"

Sam nodded, relief flooding his system as she lowered the gun. "Sam... you... you're alive!" She crawled forwards and wrapped her arms around him, sinking into the familiar embrace.

Sam rubbed her back, but his face was twisted in confusion. "Alive? Yeah, of course I'm alive..." He pulled away, holding her out so he could see her face.

"Why would I... Megan- what happened?"


	20. SOLD! (to the highest bidder)

_**So much for 20 chapters a "season"... this is better though. A lot more material! :) Anyway, this is more of a filler chapter, but I really liked it. It's a bit angsty of course... enjoy!**_

"Megan, if I was dead... how on Earth am I alive now?" Although it was weird to say it out loud... Sam believed her instantly. He knew something was off the moment he woke up. He knew something had happened- something big. So when Megan told him that he had died, and miraculously woke up again, he believed her.

Megan pulled herself out of Sam's arms. She looked him over again and again... but he was definitely alive. "I don't know, man. But you... you were _t__urned_ and everything. There was no way that you could..."

Sam nodded, understanding. "But then...how?" They both sat there on the floor, unsure of what to do, until a thought popped into Sam's head. A very, very bad thought. "Megan... where's my brother? Where is Dean?"

…

Dean had always drove unnervingly fast; usually well over the speed limit and cut a lot of corners. But he was never a reckless driver. Today, however, was different. Today he was driving at such speed with so little thought involved, that even driving down an empty road was exceedingly dangerous with him behind the wheel.

The car came to an abrupt halt just inches from the side of the hotel building. Deans mind was racing as he parked the car and ran out without even bothering to close the door behind him.

He found the room he had left his brother in, and suddenly he was frozen in place. What if it hadn't worked? What if the demon was lying to him, or just couldn't bring Sam back? Dean might have stayed there forever, frozen in place, if he hadn't heard noises coming from the room.

Cautiously, he walked towards the room, peering through the open door. "Sam?"

Sam and Megan spun their heads towards the door, where Dean now stood. Megan's face was blank, as she struggled to understand what Sam thought he did. _How could _he _bring Sam back? That doesn't make any sense._

Sam's eyes widened. "Dean."

Dean smiled even though he felt like crying. Sam was alive. He was living and breathing once more, and that was enough for Dean. "I'm glad you're awake..."

Sam stood up to face Dean. He could feel tears forming, but he ignored them. "Yeah, Dean, I am. But how?" When Dean didn't respond, Sam asked again. "Dean, how am I alive?"

Dean clenched his jaw. He didn't think Sam would remember dying. He had hoped his little brother would just block out all that pain, and wake up confused- believing whatever story Dean told him. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you're okay-"

Sam shook his head. "No, Dean, it _does_ matter. A lot." He paused, not wanting to say it aloud. "Dean... you didn't... did you... make a deal?"

Dean opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. _Yes! _He wanted to say. _Of course I did! And I would again, little brother. I always would._

"Dean. Did you sell your soul for me?"

It was a very straightforward question, with an easy enough answer, and yet Dean couldn't answer it. But it didn't matter, because Sam could tell by the sorry, self-reckless look on Deans face what the answer was. He had seen that look before. He saw it every time Dean got into a fight with some boys picking on Sam, or whenever Dean took the punishment for something Sam most certainly did. Except this time it was much, much worse. "No... no, Dean... how could you-"

"Don't... don't you do that. Don't you be mad at me. I had to, Sammy. I couldn't just let you die. It's my _job_."

Megan stood, now, although neither boy saw her. _Sell his _soul? _How..._?

Sam shook his head. It wasn't Deans job to clean up his messes. It was his job to watch Sam's back- but not to sacrifice everything for him. Sam knew this, but he didn't think Dean ever would. "How long did you get?"

"A year," Dean replied in a quiet voice. For the first time he looked over at Megan, who had been obviously crying. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her cheeks had dried tear stains running down them. She was looking at him with something Dean could only describe as disappointment.

"A ye-" Sam could not believe what he was hearing. His brother gave up his soul, his life, and his whole future for Sam to live... and he only got a year? "No. No, Dean... we... we can fix this. We can-"

Dean shook his head. "We can't, Sammy. If I try and find some loophole in my deal... you die. I won't let that happen." Silence filled the room, and Dean knew he had nothing to say. He had doomed himself, and he was okay with that. But he knew that by doing so he was also hurting the only two people he had left, and there was nothing he could do about that. In fact, there was only one thing he _could_ do at this point. "We have to find that demon, Sammy. We need to end this before anyone else gets hurt."

Sam just stared at Dean for a moment. He had no words, and he had way too many thoughts to think straight. He needed a moment... away from Dean just for a second. He needed to think. "Okay... Okay, Dean. We'll find this damn thing. But don't you think this is over. Don't you think I'm not gonna try my hardest to-"

"Yeah, I know, Sammy." Dean felt his muscles relaxing as Sam agreed. "I know."

Sam bit his tongue as he left the room. His plan was to get Dad's journal, and try and find anything he could on the demon. Anything at all that they may have overlooked. He knew there was nothing. He knew that he and Dean had read that thing backwards and forwards. But either way, he needed this. "I'll get Dad's journal..."

When Sam left, Dean was left alone with Megan. He hadn't really payed much attention to her. Ever since Sam went missing, he forgot all about their own problems, and so had she. When he glanced at her, he thought maybe she was about to rehash old arguments, but he was wrong.

Instead, she walked over to where he stood, and hugged him. She wrapped her hands around his waist, and lied her head on his chest. It wasn't quite what he expected. He expected a slap in the face at the least. He held her, and ran his fingers through her hair. It was surprisingly comforting. "I'm sorry," He whispered, thinking that was what she wanted to hear.

"I know why you did it," Megan spoke quietly. "But Dean... you signed away your whole life. You..." _You're a dead man._ She didn't say, but they both knew it.

"I know, Megan." Dean felt his body shudder as he held back tears. "But without Sam... I was dead already."

…


	21. Her Very Soul Breaks Loose

_**This is it! The final boss battle! I will be continuing, so don't think their story is over. There is much to come, and much to find out about Megan. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed watching it!**_

_**Please please please review! I want to know what you think!**_

"What are we gonna do?" Megan asked aloud.

She was trying to get things moving. Dean was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and Sam was sitting on the bed, holding their fathers journal. Both of them were walking on thin ice, and neither wanted to say something to upset the other.

Dean had just sold his soul away to get Sam back, and he just wanted to be done with it. He just wanted to kill the evil son of a bitch that started all of this, and finally put to rest the 23 year old vendetta.

Sam just found out his brother sold his soul away to keep him alive, and he was pissed. He was angry that Dean would do something like that, especially after what Dean went through with their father. But at the same time, he felt guilty as hell for being mad at the person who gave up everything for him.

So instead of voicing their feelings any farther, they remained silent.

"Guys? What about the demon? How are we going to find it?"

"I don't know," Sam shook his head and dropped the journal on the bed. "We still don't know very much about him. All I know is that he only wants one of us _special children _alive_. _And now there's just me."

"Even if we find it, we don't know how to kill it." Dean added.

Megan bit her lip. Part of her wanted to slap them both and tell them how stupid they were being. But the other recognized what situation they were in, and wondered how even _she_ was managing to function right now.

_Necessity._

"Now, now. Why would you want to kill me?"

All three of them spun to see the demon standing before them in the doorway. His yellow-eyes gleamed dangerously. Dean was the first one to move. He had no weapon, no plan of action, but he had to do something. As a result he was flung across the room and into the wooden desk. The wood cracked at the impact and he fell right through it.

"Dean!" Sam and Megan shouted simultaneously.

The demon grinned. With a blink of the eye, he had Sam pinned up against the wall. He felt like his whole body was being crushed, and he could barely breathe. He looked over at Dean, who was still face down in the pile of wood that was the desk.

Finally, the demon turned to Megan, who was frozen in fear.

She thought back to the first time she met Sam and Dean. The first time they were attacked, and, just like now, she froze. She had learned so much since then, and yet she couldn't move. That time, Dean had grabbed her and run, like it was second nature to protect. Now, he was unconscious, Sam was somehow hovering in the air and pinned to the wall. She was by herself, and most certainly going to die.

"Well, I haven't met _you _before." The demon stepped towards her and she felt her breath catch. "Tell me, are you a hunter, or just some unlucky bitch who ended up with the wrong people?"

"Go to hell," Megan managed weakly. The demon was just inches away now, and his hand reached out to caress her cheek. She flinched away from the touch, but he didn't stop.

"Poor choice of words, girl. That's where Dean is going I hear." He laughed. "Nice place, really. Although, it's absolute _torture_ most days." His fingers skimmed down her face to her neck and chest, finally resting right over her waist. She put her hand out to stop him, but he grabbed it, squeezing it tightly. "You're much to pretty to die. Why don't you wait while I have fun with these boys, huh?"

With that, he threw Megan through the doorway and out of the room. Her body connected with the wall, and she landed in a pile on the ground. A dull pain shot through her back, and she just managed to open her eyes as the door to the room slammed shut. _Damn it!_

Meanwhile, Dean was beginning to wake up. His head hurt like hell, and he could feel something warm and sticky dripping down his face. He blinked his eyes open, and pulled himself into a sitting position. When he stood, his vision got dark and blurry, but he didn't have any time to fall before the demon though him into a similar position to Sam.

"Not so fast, Dean. I'm talking to your brother, over here."

The demon fixed his gaze on Sam. "Nice to see you again, Sammy. I must say, I'm surprised to see you alive. After what Jake did, I thought the next time we'd meet you'd be stumbling around, blank faced, with blood dripping out of your mouth." Sam grimace and the demon laughed. "But big brother Dean over here just couldn't have that. I'm glad though. I was rooting for you, anyway, Sam. I wanted you to win."

"Why?" Sam hissed. "What do you want from me? Why are you _doing_ this?"

"Because you're going to be my leader, Sammy!" The demon proclaimed. "You're going to do what you were born to do- lead my army of demons. You're tough, you're smart, you're well-trained. You're my favorite."

"I'm not gonna lead your army, you bastard." Sam growled. "You killed my mother, and my father. You ruined my whole life. I'm going to kill you."

The demon curled his lips into a sneer. "Oh, Sammy. Don't be that way. Besides... you won't be able to kill me. Not before I kill your brother, anyway."

He turned his attention back to Dean, who he left fall to the floor. Dean hit the ground hard, but refused to go unconscious again. He could hear Megan banging on the door, and he was at least glad that she was safe. For now, anyway.

The demon bent down to Dean's level. "Dean, Dean, Dean. You just had to go and sell that soul of yours, didn't you. Hm, like father like son, I guess." It beamed and Dean scoffed, albeit weakly. "You see, I could kill you, nice and slowly just like your daddy. And oh boy, do I want to. You've been such a pain in my ass. But I'm on a schedule here. Gotta get Sammy over there ready for his big day. So instead, we're going to get this over with. It's your lucky day."

The demon stood again, and reached into his pocket. Dean held back a gasp as he saw him pull out the Colt. Dean knew it was their only chance at killing this thing, and there was only one bullet left. And the demon was about to use it on Dean... leaving Sam and Megan completely defenseless against it. He had to do something.

"What, this is it?" He ground out. "I bring back your leader from the dead, totally save your whole plan, and this is how you repay me?"

The demon snickered, his yellow eyes sparkling. "I think we both know you didn't do this for me. You didn't even really do this for Sam, did you? No, you brought Sam back for yourself. You just didn't want to be all _alone_, right Dean?"

Dean's eyes flickered to Sam, who was still trying to break free of the demons hold on him. "Shut up you-"

"Sh," Dean felt a new pressure on his chest, like he was being hit by a car. He could barely breathe, let alone talk. "Silence Dean. You didn't want Sam to turn into one of those... things, right? One of the undead? Well, how sure are you that what you brought back is 100 percent Sam, anyway? How sure are you that he isn't just another zombie- with a bit more brain function, maybe?"

Dean didn't reply- he couldn't. The demon just shrugged, and raised the gun, pointing it right at Dean's heart. "Oh well, Dean. It looks like your time is up."

…

The door wouldn't budge. Megan pounded on it until her fists hurt, but she knew it was useless. She could hear the demon talking to the boys, taunting them. She knew it was going to kill them unless she did something about it.

But God damn it... she was too weak. She had never been physically strong- and nowadays she wasn't eating like she should've. She could only eat what they could find, and it wasn't really enough. Her arms ached, her legs ached, everything ached. The only thing she had going for her was this rush of adrenaline, that she thought was supposed to give her superhuman strength. Yet here she was, on the other side of the door, completely and utterly useless.

She could feel her body getting hot with anger. She felt her fingers curl into fists beside her. She was angry, she was infuriated at the own weakness, and the demon inside who was going to kill Dean and do who-knows-what with Sam. In that moment, she was blind with rage. She had no idea what happened, but it was as if her energy- her very soul- exploded from within her, and bee-lined straight for the door. It erupted from her and crashed into the door. The door collapsed with enormous force. Pieces ricocheted off, but the main piece flew across the room, and landed right on top of the demon.

In his bewilderment, the demon was knocked off balance, and tumbled onto the ground. He dropped the Colt, just inches away from both him and Dean. As he fell, the invisible force holding Sam against the wall disappeared, and Sam collapsed onto the floor.

Dean felt the pressure being released off his chest. He had no idea what had happened, but he had no time to figure it out. He instinctively snatched the Colt before the demon even had a chance to react. He aimed it right at his head. He saw the demons yellow eyes go wide with fear and astonishment, just as he pulled the trigger.

…

They were already in the car before anyone even said a word.

They were all in shock, and all in pain. They wordlessly piled into the car, and Dean drove off.

He didn't know where they were going, but it didn't really matter. They just had to get away from that hotel.

The Colt was in the backseat beside Megan. She was curled up, with her knees at her chin, staring blankly at the road.

Sam was holding his head, looking back and forth between his brother and the dashboard.

Dean was focused on nothing but the road. HE gripped the steering wheel with all the strength he had left, and drove.

Ten minutes into their drive, Sam finally spoke.

"We did it."

Dean glanced at his brother for the first time since they were in the car, but didn't say anything.

"It's dead. The demon is dead. After all these years... it's over."

Finally, Dean smiled. "You're damn right it is."

Sam grinned, letting his hands fall to his lap. He sighed in relief. He almost never thought that this day would come, but here it was. "Nice shot, man."

Dean laughed. "Thanks. But I could only take it because..." Suddenly, he remembered the door smashing into the demon, knocking him down. "Megan?" He turned to see her, but she didn't reply. She just continued to stare at nothing.

"Megan, are you okay?" Sam asked. "Megan?"

They were met with no reply, and Dean pulled the car onto the side of the road.

The boys got out and into the backseat. They sat on either side of Megan, and tried to get her attention. "Megan. Megan, it's okay. It's over." Sam coaxed, trying to gently pry her arms open. Megan just shook her head, and started to cry.

Dean wrapped his arms around her, smoothing her knotted hair and rubbing her back, like he used to do with Sam when he was little. "Megan, it's okay. What's wrong?"

Finally, Megan let go and buried her face in Dean's shirt. She muttered something that neither of them could understand.

"What did you say, Megan?" Sam spoke quietly.

"There is something wrong with me." Megan cried. "I'm a monster. I'm a monster!"


	22. New Plan

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Sam sighed. "I don't know, Dean. She was so worried about it and... I was trying to make her forget about it."

Megan was currently asleep in the backseat. They had already calmed her down, and continued driving to nowhere. After a while she had fallen asleep.

Dean hit the steering wheel. Megan had told them about her little _o__utburst,_ and how she had broken down the door. She was certainly not human. Or at least there was something inside of her... just like Sam.

Her remembered Megan's "vision" early, when she had found Sam. All she had done was help them... so maybe she wasn't human, but she wasn't a monster, that was for sure. He and Sam would figure this out and help her, no matter what.

They drove in silence for miles. Dean wished Sam would fall asleep so he could have some time to think, but the stubborn kid never did. In fact, a few miles later, he started talking again. And it wasn't what Dean wanted to talk about.

"Dean, what are we going to do about your deal?"

"Sam. Do you really think that is the most important thing right now? What about Megan? We have to help her first." Dean tried to dismiss him, but Sam would not quit.

"Megan's fine... probably. But you are definitely not." Sam turned to see Dean clearly. The light outside was starting to dim, and shadows fell over his brothers face. His jaw was clenched and he wouldn't look at Sam. "Look, man. You've spent your whole life looking out for me. It's about time I return the favor. I own you that much at least."

"You don't owe me anything, Sam. I did this to myself, okay? It's not your job to look after me. I can take care of myself." Dean heard Sam scoff. "What?"

"You can't take care of yourself, Dean. You've never had the occasion. If you had, we wouldn't be in this mess." Sam regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He knew he was being hard on Dean, and whatever his big brother said, he _did _owe Dean. But maybe this is what Dean needed to hear to finally realize how stupid he was being.

Dean didn't say anything.

"Oh, come on, Dean. Don't do this. Let me help you." Sam begged.

"What's the point?" Dean questioned, finally. "What's the point of me even being here. The world sucks. The dead are cramming the streets. What good am I even doing anymore?" There was no one left to save. Sure, he had killed the demon, but did it even matter? They didn't know how many people were still out there. Probably not very many. And if he couldn't save people... what good was he?

_What's the point?_ Did Sam just hear his brother correctly? "The point, Dean? How could you even say something like that?" Dean glanced at Sam with an expression of confusion that broke Sam's heart into a million pieces. "The point is, we need you. Megan and I can't do this without you. You're important to us, Dean. You're my big brother, and no matter what I'm going to need you around. Got that?"

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but for the life of him he couldn't find the words to answer that. He could sense Sam's equal worry and agitation radiating from the passenger seat. "Yeah, okay." was all he said.

Sam nodded, turning his body to the other side to get comfortable. "Good. I'm going to sleep. Wake me up if you need me to drive."

…

Megan's first thought was of Dean. Of his comfortable embrace when she was having a meltdown. Of his soft voice reserved for just Sam and her.

When she opened her eyes, she recognized the sticky leather seats of a car beneath her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. It was darker than she remembered it being outside. It had to be late. Or early.

Sam was fast asleep on the passenger side. He was crumpled up in a seemingly uncomfortable position, but his breathing was even. Dean was driving; he was humming some rock song and tapping his fingers in rhythm on the car door.

After a few moments, Dean seemed to notice she was awake. "Mornin', Sleepin' Beauty. At least, I think it's morning. "

Megan smiled and mumbled "Morning." He had barely looked at her, and she knew why. "I'm... I'm sorry about last night, Dean. I kinda freaked out there..."

Dean waved it off. "Don't sweat it. Everybody's due a meltdown every once in a while. You feelin' better, now?"

She nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I just... I just wished I _knew_ what was wrong with me, you know? At least then I could _deal _with it."

"Who said something was wrong with you?" Dean asked. "Obviously you're... something weird. But that doesn't make you _wrong_." He recognized the same look from Sam's face when he talked about his visions. He didn't want Sammy feeling like what he _was_ was his fault, and he didn't want Megan feeling that way either.

Megan couldn't help but smile. "That's sweet, really. But... I'm not... I'm not _human_. Or at least part of me isn't. You know more about this stuff. Have you ever run into something like me?"

"Well, let's see. You're 'soul' is bright. You found Sam, God-knows-how, and you blasted down a door. I guess I've seen some stuff like that before. But I've never seen a monster who didn't know it was a monster." He instantly wished he could take back the monster analogy. "I've also never seen a monster that _helped_*people, not _hurt _people."

"I don't know how I found Sam. It... it was like I was _connected_ to him somehow. I could _f__eel_ him, ya know?" Megan shook her head, laying back in the seat. "No, I guess you don't. I just sound crazy."

"You're not crazy. You're just..." He couldn't think of what to say, and he wasn't sure he was helping. He figured it was best to change the topic now. "I don't know. Don't worry about it. Sam and I are gonna figure it out." He cleared his throat. "So, how'd you sleep?" He added, lamely.

They had awkward conversation for half an hour before Sam finally awoke, saving the day.

Megan took over driving, and Dean took the passenger side, while Sam got the back. "Where are we even going? What are we doing?" Sam asked, mostly to Dean. Dean had to have a plan, right? If not for fixing him, than for Megan.

"If we want to find out about Megan- we have to treat this like any other case." Dean explained. "And what's the first thing we do for a case?"

Sam shrugged. "Research. Interview witnesses. Check out the scene."

Dean nodded. "Right. We've already talk to the witness- " He motioned to Megan. "And we've tried to do research. So now. The only thing left is the scene." Megan and Sam both looked at him expectantly. "It's not obvious? We're going back to Megan's house."


	23. Never Gonna Give You Up

_**I feel like this one is kind of short and choppy, but it's really just a transitional chapter. Megan and the boys are starting their journey towards finding out Megan's secret. Meanwhile, Sam is trying to figure out what to do with Dean. Either way, I hope you enjoy it! Please leave your reviews- I want to know what you like and don't like! Thank you!**_

"My house? Why would we go back to _my _house?" Megan gripped the steering wheel, but kept the car in place. "That's all the way back where you met me! It's been months..."

Dean really wanted to lay down and rest for awhile, but obviously that would have to wait. He sat up to face both Megan and his brother. "Look, you didn't just wake up one morning with... whatever abilities you have. Something must have happened. Either you were born with it, or you got it somehow. Either way, your house is the best place to look for clues."

Megan pursed her lips. "Okay, fine. But in that case we shouldn't just go to my apartment. We should go to my parents house, too. I had only moved out a couple years before."

Dean nodded. "Sounds good to me. Now, if you excuse me, I've been driving for hours, and I need to sleep."

…

While Dean slept, Megan drove and Sam kept her company. They maintained pleasant conversation, mostly focusing on their lives pre-apocolypse. Megan talked about her family. Her emotionally-distant mother, her lovable but irresponsible father, and her brother, Sean.

"Sean was older than me. He would always tease me and mess with me- anyway he could." Megan couldn't help but smile as she thought of him. "He was a great big brother. Just like Dean."

Sam nodded, but didn't add anything about Dean. Of course Dean was a great big brother. He was _more_ than that, really, but Sam couldn't really explain that. But it was his brothers devotion to him that got them where they were now. It was that sense of duty and responsibility to Sam that was going to kill his brother in just a years time. It had Sam starting to wonder just how healthy his and Dean's relationship really was. "He sounds like a nice guy. How much older was he?"

"Just two years. It helped, being close in age. It kept _us_ closer." Megan couldn't help but put her self in Sam's shoes. She was a younger sibling, too, and she would be absolutely _devastated_ if she knew he died for her to live. It wasn't something she could even imagine. She also had to wonder if Sean would have made the same deal as Dean did. He was a great brother, but he never had to be her protector. He never had to feel responsible for her life and well-being. Not in the way that Dean obviously did. "Even so, I _wish_ we could have been as close as you and Dean." She hadn't meant to add that part out loud, but she was certainly thinking it.

Sam bit his tongue, not wanting to say anything bad about his brother. Because she was right, they _were_ close. Closer than Sam was with anyone else he'd ever known, and probably ever will. But at what cost? "Well, we had to be, growing up like we did. All we had were each other."

Megan glanced over at Sam. She could see the sadness in his eyes. She knew what he was thinking... Dean, his brother, was going to die. Because of _him_. She wanted desperately to cheer him up, to make him feel better. She wanted to be able to help him. She wished that whatever she was, that she was powerful enough to help Dean get out of his deal. But she didn't even _know_ what shew was. She was useless. "We're gonna help your brother, Sam." She spoke quietly, knowing Dean was asleep right behind them. "Whatever happens... Dean's not going to Hell."

Sam closed his eyes. He could feel tears building up in his eyes, and he struggled to contain them. He was not going to cry. Not now. Not in front of Megan. "Thank you. I know... we'll figure this out. Together." He only hoped that they were right.

…

They ran out of gas two hours later.

Up until this point, they had been pretty good about keeping extra gas in the car, but they hadn't found any in quite awhile. Megan drove until the car literally stopped moving anywhere. "God, dammit!" Dean slammed his fist onto the hood. "What the hell do we do now?"

It was rhetorical, of course, since _nobody_ knew what to do. They had a hell of a long journey back to Megan's house, and no car. And they didn't exactly have time to waste, given Dean's expiration date. They had to figure something out, and fast.

Dean closed his eyes and sighed. "Get your bags. We have to keep moving."

Megan popped open the trunk and collected her belongings. Sam took the opportunity to talk to Dean, privately. "Dean, I know you don't want to talk about this right now. But do we really have time for this little road trip? I mean, especially on foot, it's going to take a long time to get back to Megan's house. And you're running out of time..."

"So is Megan, Sam. We're dealing with one problem at a time." Dean retorted.

"She is not! She's fine. Scared, maybe, but she's okay. You, on the other hand, are _dying_."

"I know I am, Sam!" Dean yelled, suddenly. Megan froze with her bags, and Sam just stood there. "I know I'm dying, Sam. We're all gonna die sooner or later. I made my choice. I dug my own grave. We all have choices, Sammy. And sometimes we pick the wrong one. But I'd do it again in a second. So yes, I'm going to die. Sooner than later. I know that. I signed the deal myself. You can't do anything about it, so you might as well give it up, already!"

Megan tightened her grip on her bag and stared at her feet. It was obvious she could hear them now, but she still didn't want to budge into their conversation.

Sam clenched his jaw. After a moment, he shook his head. "I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I can't give up on you, Dean. I just can't. And I'm sorry that you can, so easily. But I will not." without waiting for a response, he marched over to the trunk, grabbed his one duffel bag as well as Dean's, and slammed it shut. He threw Dean's bag to him, and started down the road. It was his cue to go.

Dean glanced over at Megan, who was now staring at him, sadly. He motioned for her to come, and then followed Sam. They walked in silence.


	24. Bad Ideas

It took hours for them to find even a building. They eventually came across an old house in the middle of nowhere. "This doesn't scream _bad idea_ at all..." Dean muttered as the wandered up to the house.

The house was two stories, but it was pretty large. There were several rooms and they had to clear them all before they could sleep.

They were still awkwardly silent as they searched through the house.

Megan wandered into one of the bedrooms. Her hands were both clasped around her gun, holding onto it for dear life. She thought she could hear something coming from the bathroom. She gulped, checking behind her. She was upstairs, and both the boys were downstairs. She wasn't about to call them up here because she was scared.

She tip-toed quietly to the bathroom door, which was firmly shut. She could hear someone, or rather something, moving around on the other side.

Megan realized she was holding her breath, and she had to make herself breath out. "Hello?" No one answered. She raised her voice a little. "Hello? Are... are you alive in there?"

There was no answer, but the noise inside stopped. Megan swallowed hard, knowing ahead of time that she would regret this decision. She grasped the handle with one hand, her knuckles going white in the process.

"One... two...three!"

She swung open the door, gun up and ready to shoot, and immediately froze. It was a zombie alright. A gross, decaying body growling in the corner. But by her size and appearance beneath the rotting flesh, Megan recognized it to be a little girl. One who had not made it.

Megan stared at it, and it stared back. For a moment, she thought it wasn't going to attack her. Like somehow, that little, innocent girl was still in there, and wasn't going to hurt her. But then it leapt forward.

Megan shot three times just to be sure. The zombie girl fell backwards, dead (again). It hadn't even gotten close enough to grab at Megan.

It wasn't a little girl anymore. And neither was Megan.

…

Sam went to bed as soon as it got dark outside. He didn't want it to be awkward with Dean, and he wanted to think things through some more before he talked to him again.

That left Megan and Dean alone. They were sitting beside each other on the couch downstairs, thinking.

"I could really use a beer right now," Dean sighed. They had found old, warm beer around sometimes, but for the moat part they'd only been drinking water. And not a lot of it.

Megan smiled. "Is that what you miss most? Beer?"

"No. But it's close. I miss living people. I miss TV. I miss women." Dean smirked.

Megan rolled her eyes. "I miss not knowing how to shoot a gun. And not knowing about monsters." Megan let her gaze fall to the floor. "I didn't have a very exciting life like you two. But it was good. It was quiet. I miss that."

"I miss that too. I miss life being quiet." Dean said, softly.

Megan looked back up to him. "I thought you've always been hunting. Since you were four."

Dean shrugged. "Well, yeah. I don't really remember much before then. But... somehow I still miss it."

It was like Dean had a gravitational pull. Megan felt herself being drawn to him, both literally and metaphorically. She couldn't put her feelings for him into words, but maybe she could with this.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. His lips were chapped, but she figured hers were, too. She loved it anyway. Dean wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her onto his lap. She swung her leg over his waist.

Dean didn't think, he just _did_. He ran his fingers down her back, playing with the hem of her shirt. He could feel his heart racing as he sank into the warmth of her body.

"Dean," Megan breathed, pulling away slightly. "Dean, wait."

Dean stopped, leaving his hands resting on her hips. "What's wrong?"

"I... I can't do this."

Dean sighed, nodding.

"No, Dean. It's not like that. I want to, I do." She climbed off of his lap and sat on her knees. She intertwined her fingers in his. "But if your time is up, and you're just gonna... accept it... I can't."

"Megan, you don't understand-"

"Understand what? I've heard you and Sam. Do you actually think figuring out me is more important than _saving_ you?"

"It's not that simple, Megan." Dean argued. "This... deal affects Sammy, too. You know that."

Megan sighed, letting go of Dean. "Yeah, I know that. It's not that I blame you, Dean. I admire your loyalty to Sam, and I'd never ask you to go against that. But you're going to be _dead_ in a year because of it. And I can't do this knowing that..."

Dean understood. She didn't want to get anymore attached to someone with an expiration date like that. "It's okay, Megan. I understand."

"I'm sorry... I'm gonna... I'm gonna go to sleep, I think. Good night, Dean." Megan got up quickly and went upstairs.

"Night..."

There were two bedrooms upstairs. One Sam was in, and the other where Megan had found the girl. She opened the door to the later, and realized she'd never be able to sleep in there. Besides, Dean would have to sleep somewhere, too.

So instead, she knocked on Sam's door. "Yes?"

She opened it, and found Sam sitting on the bed with his father's journal open in his lap. "You're still awake?"

"Yeah, I was just... reading. What's up?"

"Oh, I, uh, I'm going to sleep, but... the other room..."

Sam nodded. He knew about the girl in the room. They had cleared out the body but... still. She was really young. "You want me to leave?"

"No, no it's okay. I don't mind sharing. If you don't, anyway."

"No problem. It's a queen." Sam smiled, putting the journal down.

Megan smiled. "Thanks."

Sam moved over onto one side of the bed, and Megan curled up on the other. "Night, Sam."

"Good night, Megan."

…

Megan woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. As soon as she shot up, sweating and breathing heavily, she couldn't remember what it was about. Either way, she had a bad feeling.

Sam had finally fallen asleep. He had slept on top of the covers, on his back. He was fine.

Megan crawled out as quietly as she could, and snuck out the room. She went to the other bedroom, but the door was still open. "Dean?" She whispered. No reply.

She went downstairs, but she didn't see him in the living room, either. "Dean? You here?" She called a little louder, but was still met with silence.

When she was sure he wasn't inside, she began to get worried. What had happened to him? Where could he have gone?

She went outside and searched around. There was a woodsy area behind the house, but the rest was open fields. "Dammit, Dean..." She cursed when she still didn't see him. That meant they'd have to go into the woods. But she had to find him. He could be in trouble.

"Dean? Dean!" She called.

She wasn't very far, and had gotten no closer to finding him, when she heard some shuffling behind her. She froze, her heart seemed to stop beating. She hadn't brought her gun. _Idiot!_ She hadn't brought anything.

"Dean?" She turned around and came face to face with a zombie.

She screamed.

…

Sam heard the scream from inside the house. He recognized it to be Megan. She wasn't in the bed anymore, and the voice seemed to be far away.

He jumped out of the bed and sprinted downstairs. She wasn't there either. She was outside.

"Megan!" He heard a scream again, and he followed it to her. He saw her a ways into the woods, with a 300 pound zombie on top of her.

He ran, crashing into the zombie with all his weight and sending them both flying. He realized as he did that that he hadn't brought a gun or knife, or anything.

"Sam! Watch out!"

He heard Dean's voice, and he immediately ducked, rolling over towards Megan.

Dean shot several times at the zombie, who fell back into a lump.

As soon as the zombie was dead, they both turned their attention to Megan.

Sam was already beside her. He crawled the few inches toward her and couldn't help his gasp.

There was a distinct bite mark on her shoulder and gashes going down her arms and chest. There was so much blood he could barely make out the injuries.

"Oh my God..." Dean knelt down beside her. "Megan..."

Megan's eyes were closed, and she was barely breathing. "We need to get her inside, Dean. Now."

Dean didn't move. He just stared at her. "Sammy, she's..." He pointed to the bite mark. They both knew what that meant. It didn't matter if she survived the blood loss or the injuries themselves. She only had a few days before...

"I know. Come on, Dean."


	25. Bitten

_**Thank you for all your reviews, favorites, and follows! I am honoured that you are taking an interest in my story! This one is a little shorter than usual, but the next one will be longer (and there will be a little surprise!)**_

_**Also, don't forget to check out my new story, Every Hero Has an Origin Story! Thank you guys!**_

"Here, put pressure on her shoulder." Sam rummaged through his bag and found a couple rags. They weren't as clean as he'd have liked, but it was the best they could do. He handed one to Dean, and ripped the top part of her shirt, revealing the mark. Dean wrapped the rag on it, and attempted to stop the bleeding. Then Sam got to work on her arms and sides.

The gashes weren't all that deep, luckily. Sam did his best to clean them and bandage them up. "What are we going to do, Sam?" Dean asked frantically. He was trying to clean up her shoulder, and it was clear that it was a bite. "There's nothing we can do..."

"We'll figure it out, Dean... why was she even outside? Why were _you_ outside?"

"I was taking a walk," Dean answered quickly. "I don't know why she was out there."

"Okay, let's try and bandage her shoulder. There's not much of the tape left, but we can use another rag. Here..."

He managed to patch her up and stop the bleeding, but all the while he knew it was hopeless. She'd be dead within the next two nights. She'd be worse than dead.

They laid her down as comfortably as they could in the bedroom, unsure of what else they could do.

Neither wanted to say the inevitable. She was going to die. There was no stopping it, now. It was only a matter of days.

"What do we do?" Sam asked, quietly. "What do you do when there's nothing you _can_ do?"

"There's got to be something..." Dean shook his head. "There _has_ to be."

"She's bitten, Dean. You know what happens. It's going to be a painful process. She's only going to get worse, until..." Sam let his voice trail off, his point made.

Suddenly, from the bed, they both heard coughing. "Megan!" They shouted simultaneously, rushing to her side.

Megan moaned, trying to roll over. "Ah... ow that _hurts_..."

"Megan, try not to move." Dean rolled her on her back. "Try to lay still."

Megan opened her eyes and saw the two of them hovering over her with worried faces. "Jesus Christ... what happened?"

Sam and Dean exchanged glances, but didn't answer her. Megan quickly looked down, and saw the bandages all over her body. She remembered going after Dean in the woods, and she remembered the zombie. "A zombie attacked me." She spoke slowly, trying to figure it out. "Did it..." _Oh, shit..._ "Did I get bit?"

"I'm so sorry, Megan."

Megan closed her eyes. She could feel a dull, stinging pain in her shoulder, and she knew she was right. "So I'm going to die?"

Dean wanted to say no. He wanted to tell her that there was a way to fix it, to save her. But he knew there wasn't. There was nothing they could do.

"If there was something we could do..."

"I know," Megan opened her eyes again. "It's okay. Thanks for patching me up, but..." _There's no point._ "I've never seen... no one ever, uh... what's going to happen to me?"

Sam glanced at Dean. "You'll, uh, you'll start to feel sick. A fever, probably nausea. And then you just fall asleep..."

"And wake up a monster." Megan added bitterly.

"It won't be you." Dean corrected.

"Yeah but it will be my body. And my only goal will be to... to... _eat_." She protested, sitting up slightly. "I don't want to be that. I can't-" She cut herself off. She looked up at Dean. "Please, Dean."

It took him a second to realize what she was asking him. "No, Megan. I can't do that. I won't."

"Dean, wait-"

"No! Megan. I'm not killing you."

Megan sighed. She was going to be dead in two days at the most. It didn't matter how she died. It mattered whether she was going to wake up again. "Sam, _you_ have to understand."

Sam widened his eyes. "I... I don't know..."

"I'm going to die, anyway! I'm dead! It's _over_ for me, guys! I just don't want to sit here and die slowly..." She looked to both of them, but they both turned away. Neither would do it, and honestly, she couldn't blame them. "Fine. Just... give me a gun."

"Megan-"

"Give me it, and leave. I'll do it..."

…

Dean and Sam waited outside for a gunshot. They had been reluctant, but in the end, it wasn't their choice, it was Megan's. So they stood by the door. Sam with tears in his eyes, and Dean refusing to look over at him. And they waited.

It never came.

After a few minutes, they knocked on the door and went in. Megan was sitting on the bed, holding her knees close to her chest and sobbing quietly. The gun was laying on the bed beside her.

They sat down with her, and waited for her to get worse.


	26. Death Becomes Her

_**School has started again, unfortunately. That makes it a lot harder to update, but I'm going to do my best to update all my stories frequently. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and that you like the little surprise at the end!**_

_**Thank you to all who have reviewed, favorited, and followed! Your support keeps me writing!**_

Megan got sick.

She felt like something was inside her, ripping her apart from the inside. She had a fever, and was constantly throwing up.

It was hard for everyone involved. But the boys powered through, knowing the end was near for her. Any moment could be her last. Every time she fell asleep, they were worried she wasn't going to wake up.

And then, one day, she got better.

They didn't know how to explain it, but she started to feel better. Her fever went down, she felt comfortable. She slept soundly. Sam and Dean were ecstatic, of course, that she was okay. But it came with the realization far more ominous.

Megan was immune.

"What does that mean?" Megan was thankful, of course, at the sudden turn of events. But she was also worried out of her mind. Whatever she was, she was powerful. How could such a powerful being not know what they were? How could she have thought she was human this whole time?

"It means you're one hell of a... whatever it is you are." Dean stood by as Sam checked her up.

Sam stood and nodded to them. "You seem to have recovered completely. I can't explain it, but you're fine."

They didn't waste anytime getting the hell out of there. No one wanted to stay any longer once Megan was okay.

They still didn't have a car, so they just had to keep walking, never looking back.

…

"God _damn_ it!" Dean yelled, kicking the van with his foot, which was a mistake because it hurt like hell. This van was the third car they had come across that was completely unusable. At this rate, they were going to end up _walking_ the journey back.

"It's okay, Dean, we'll find one that works. We just have to keep walking." Sam was just as frustrated at Dean was, but this wasn't the time to throw a fit over it.

"I know, but..." Dean sighed, giving in. "Fine. Let's just... go."

Megan was trailing behind the boys. She was still uneasy about her recovery. She could feel the dull sting in her shoulder still, but it was much weaker. It was like something was healing her, albeit slowly.

She slid her hand beneath her shirt, feeling the gashes. They had all but disappeared. It had only been two days. But they were practically _gone_.

She was also thinking about Dean. She thought about what she said to him, about him dying. She couldn't help but see the irony in _her_ almost dying the next morning. Maybe she was wrong... maybe she should've given him a chance.

Megan wished she could talk to someone about this. But there just weren't any options. The only people they had come across lately were lunatics with a ghost problem. She wasn't sure she'd ever find anyone other than the boys.

They could see some buildings in the distance. It looked like a suburban area, which was good for them. That meant a lot of houses, but also a lot of zombies.

Dean was leading the group, but he no longer felt in charge. He felt like everything was spinning out of his control. He had barely saved Sam from his demonic fate, and he never would have been able to without Megan. And Megan... she was a whole nother story.

Ignoring their own personal problems, (which he was absolutely doing, by the way,) she seemed to be just as messed up as Sam was. She was immune, which was good for them, but still. She was powerful. She was _s__pecial_. But she also had no clue what she was, and that was scary.

They were pleasantly surprised by the small amount of zombies they ran into once going in to the neighborhood. It was fortunate, but it still made Dean nervous. That might mean someone else was here, clearing them out.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Megan asked. "That there is someone else here? Living?"

"You'd think so," Sam muttered, agreeing with Dean's hesitance. "But just cause they're living, doesn't mean they're friendly."

There was one big house secluded from the rest. It rested on a cul-de-sac, and had a large, intact fence surrounding it. There were some zombies outside, clawing at the fence, but they easily took them out.

"This would be a nice place to crash for awhile." Dean hooped the fence, helping Megan over as Sam did the same.

"What if it's already... occupied?" Megan wondered, cautiously. If they were right and someone was living in the neighborhood, there was a good chance they were here.

"We'll just have to keep our eyes open." Sam smiled to her. It didn't make her feel any better.

They split up to search the house, which Megan figured was their first mistake. She was downstairs, and was confident no one else was there.

And then she heard the front door open. It opened so slowly, that she figured she was lucky to have heard it at all. Whoever was walking in, didn't want to be heard. She quickly hid behind the wall of the hallway which led to the bedrooms. She could hear her heart beating, and she felt like it was beating a million miles a minute.

She heard muffled footsteps getting closer to her, and she had to hold her breath to quiet herself.

"I know you're behind the wall, so you might as well show yourself." A gruff voice came from behind her. She heard his gun click. "I ain't askin' twice."

Megan put her hands up and came out from behind the wall. She saw the man, now. He was older, with short brown hair and a beard. He wore gray with a plaid over-shirt, dirty jeans, and an old baseball cap. But all Megan could see was the shotgun aimed at her chest. "See, that wasn't so hard." His voice was barely above a whisper. He knew she wasn't alone.

"Please don't shoot me," Megan whispered. "I had no intention of hurting you..."

"I ain't gonna shoot you 'till you give me a reason. Now, who are your friends? I know there's someone else here." The man lowered his gun a little but, and Megan relaxed slightly.

"Just some guys. We're, uh, we're trying to get to my old place. We just needed a place to stay." Megan explained. "But we can leave, let me just go get them-" She took a step toward the stairs, and he trained the gun back at her.

"Why don't you call them down."

Megan gulped, nodding. "Uh... Dean! Sam! There's someone here!" She yelled as loud as she could.

The man's face twisted into confusion. "Wait, wait- did you say-?"

Dean and Sam came running down the stairs, guns ready. But as soon as they were down, they both stopped where they were.

"Dean? Sam?" The man stared at them in awe, lowering his weapon. Megan stared at the three of them, confused.

"Bobby?"


	27. Bobby

_**I absolutely adore Bobby, and I wasn't able to get him into his rightful role in All Hell Breaks Loose, but he's here now! And hopefully he'll be a considerable help to Megan and the boys. Enjoy!**_

"Boys?" Bobby was in shock.

He never thought he would see his boys again. After everything that happened, he was sure they were either dead, or halfway across the country. It wasn't like they could keep in touch.

The last time he had seen them was right after their daddy died. They were both a mess, even if they didn't want to admit it. He had tried to help them through it, but all that _touchy-feely_ crap wasn't one of his strong suits.

Bobby had been on his own for a long time, but he hadn't really minded. He had always worked alone. But out of everyone, he had only _wished_ he could see the Winchesters one more time. It seemed God had granted him at least this one miracle.

"It's real good to see you, Bobby," Sam was the first to put his gun away, and go to hug him. Bobby leaned his shotgun up against the wall and hugged the kid.

"It's _damn_ good to see you two. I never thought..." He let his words hang in the air.

He let go of Sam, and turned to Dean, who he had never seen look so close to crying. But he didn't. Instead, he grinned. And hugged Bobby without saying anything.

When he let go, he finally said, "I can't believe we ran into you. What are the odds?"

"I have no idea. What have you boys been up to this whole time?" Bobby asked, looking over at Megan who looked more than confused.

"Bobby... I... I think I remember them talking about you." She wasn't lying. The boys had talked to her about their old life, and she remembered Bobby being a significant part of that. "I'm Megan. We, uh, we met a few months ago."

"Pleasure to meet you," Bobby smiled politely, and then turned back to the Winchesters.

They all sat down in "Bobby's" living room, and exchanged stories.

Bobby had initially stayed in Sioux Falls, but soon that became impossible. The whole town became overrun, and Bobby had tried to manage it. People fled- going to where they heard were safe-houses and quarantine zones.

There were no such things, of course, so Bobby stayed back.

But eventually it became too much for him to handle by himself, so he hit the road in his pick-up truck, filled with books and supplies.

Unfortunately, just as the three of them had found out, living on the road was difficult. He had a problem finding gas for his truck, and was forced to move from car to car, until he finally found this place.

"Welcome to the new Singer headquarters, boys." Bobby scoffed, less than enthusiastically. "It's not as nice as my old place, and I don't have nearly all my old books. I don't know how helpful they are anymore, anyway."

Dean frowned. "They might be really helpful, Bobby. We've come across our fair share of the supernatural."

Megan shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

Sam glanced over at her. "Actually, Bobby, we could use your help with something."

Bobby waited for an explanation, and after a bit of hesitation, said, "Well, spit it out, boy."

"It's me." Megan blurted out. All three men looked at her. "I need your help, I mean. To... figure out what I am."

Bobby stared at her. "Come again? What you _are_?"

Megan nodded. "I, uh... I don't think I'm human. I mean, i thought i was. But... i see things. And i kinda blew up a door."

"And she's immune." Dean added.

Bobby's eyes widened at that. "Immune to..." Dean nodded. "Well, now, _that's_ something. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you,"

…

"You two picked up a weird one," Bobby commented, searching through a pile of books. Sam and Megan were off searching for supplies in some of the other houses. Bobby had been through most of them nearby, but he never liked staying out for too long, alone.

Dean frowned. "She's not... well, yeah she's weird. But it's not her fault."

"I never said it was." Bobby searched Dean's face, and he could tell something was up. He had a look on his face that Bobby couldn't quite place. There was definitely something wrong with him, and not just the obvious.

"I don't know what kind of... thing she is. But she's good, Bobby. I swear. She's safe."

Bobby nodded, although he didn't entirely trust Dean's judgment. He could be too trusting when it came to people close to him. But he did like the girl. She seemed good-hearted. "You haven't hooked up with her yet, have you?"

Dean dropped the book he was holding. "What the hell, Bobby? No, of course not..." Bobby gave him a look, and dean sighed. "Alright, no. I tried, but... she wasn't interested. "

"She seemed interested." Bobby remembered how she was looking at him earlier.

There it was again. That _l__ook_.

"Dean, be honest with me, boy. What's going on with you? And don't give me none of that _It's the end of the world_ crap, because it's the end of the world for everyone. We're all gonna die sooner or later."

Dean clenched his jaw, not meeting Bobby's eyes. He spoke so quietly Bobby could barely hear him. "Some of us sooner than later, Bobby."

Bobby felt his heart skip a beat. "What does that mean?"

"I... I did something, Bobby. Something stupid."

Bobby sat down across from him at the table. "What the hell did you do, Dean."

Now Dean looked straight at him with tears in his eyes. "Don't be mad at me, Bobby. Please... just... don't be mad at me."

Bobby loosened his grip on the table when he realized his nails were digging crescent-shaped marks onto the wood.

"Sammy was dead, Bobby. It was the demon." Dean took a deep breath. He never thought he'd have to explain this to Bobby. Not to _Bobby_... "I couldn't just let him die..."

Realization hit Bobby like a wave. "Dean, did you... you didn't make a deal?"

Dean's silence was enough of an answer.

"God dammit, Dean." Bobby wanted to be mad at the kid. He wanted to scream and yell at him for what he did. He sacrificed his own life for his brothers. He gave up his own soul like it was worth nothing. Didn't he realize how important he was? How much he was worth?

He wanted to shout all these things at him- to make him understand. Instead, he settled for, "How long?"

"One year..."

Bobby nodded, remembering Dean's plea not to get mad. "Well... we're gonna fix this, Dean. I swear to you. We will."

"It's not that simple, Bobby... I-"

"I know it's not simple, boy. Nothing with the Winchesters are ever _simple_..." Bobby sighed. You would've thought he'd learned from his daddy's mistakes. "But that don't mean we can't try. I won't let you go to Hell, and neither will your brother, I'm sure."

Dean nodded, and was going to say something when Sam and Megan came back.

It was hard for Dean to tell Bobby about his deal. But it wasn't nearly as hard as it would to explain to him, or _anyone_, the _second_ part of his deal. That, he would quite literally be taking to his grave.


	28. Family Road Trip

_"Wait!" Dean called to the demon._

_The demon smirked. "That's what I thought. So, you ready to make a deal?"_

_Dean clenched his fists, fully realizing what a huge mistake he was making. But this was for Sam. He'd make this mistake for his little brother over and over. "Lets get this over with."_

_Whoa, big boy. Slow down. We aren't done negotiating, yet."_

_Deans face twisted in confusion. "What are you talking about? I thought the deal was one year for Sam's life? You can't possibly want any less time for me!" He was already getting such a short time..._

_"Yeah, well, I'm going to need a little more than just your soul." The demon shrugged, like she wasn't holding his life in her hands._

_Dean wanted to scream.'"What more do you want from me?"_

_The demon smiled again, and Dean wished he __could__ strangle her right there. She was toying with him. She knew how desperate he was. She knew she could ask him for the world, and he'd give it to her._

_"Oh, nothing, sweetheart. That would just be cruel. I don't need anything... not from_ you."

…

"I've been looking through all my resources, guys. I can't find _anything_." Bobby slammed shut his book. He had been up all night, reading through what little books he had managed to take. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. He hadn't found anything for Megan, or Dean.

"That's why we need to get to Megan's house." Dean sighed. "That's where we were heading before we found you."

"It does make sense," Sam had to admit. "We need to figure out more about Megan. More than she can tell us herself." Sam wasn't entirely sure that they'd find anything, but it was their only shot.

Bobby nodded. "I'm inclined to agree. It's a smart plan. Should we hit the road, then?"

"Yeah, as soon as possible. I don't know how much shit you have, Bobby. We may wanna take two cars, but we only have yours."

"I can take care of that, I think."

…

Bobby pulled up to the house in a red Honda.

"Nice job, Bobby." Dean grinned, walking out with Sam and Megan.

"Thanks," Bobby got out of the car, leaning against the door. "She'll need fuel, soon. So will my truck over there. It's hard to come by, though. We'll be lucky to find any for a while."

"We already packed your stuff into the truck, Bobby. So you can drive that one with someone, and the other two will take the Honda." Sam explained.

"Good. Dean's coming with me."

Deans eyes widened and he pointed to himself, incredulously. "Me? Why?"

"What, you don't wanna ride with me or somethin'?" Bobby crossed his arms. He needed to talk to the kid. He wanted to get into his head, and figure out what was going on, since it was nothing good. He could tell that he was hiding something.

"No... no that's fine..." Dean answered. He didn't mind... he had just wanted some alone time with Megan. Not for anything like _that_... he just wanted to patch things up with her; make sure they were still good.

"Good. You kids ready? Let's get the hell outta here."

…

Sam and Megan led the way, since Megan knew best where to go. They had months of road to backtrack, and they had to do it quickly. Luckily, this time they had an actual destination, and much more motivation.

"So..." Megan started, awkwardly. "Bobby's nice. He seems like a good guy."

"The best." Sam smiled. "We used to go over to his house a lot, Dean and I. He treated us like normal kids, you know what I mean? Not... hunters. Not when we didn't need to, anyway."

Megan looked behind them to the truck. Bobby was staring straight ahead, straight faced, but Dean was grinning. He was good for them, Megan figured. She was glad they had some happy memories to tell her, rather than the normal ones. And she was extra glad they found him again.

She turned back to the dash. "Dean seems to like him a lot. He's never talked about anyone so highly... other than you, of course."

Sam thought his words out carefully. "He always took a... special interest in Dean, I guess. I mean, he was great to me, of course. But... I guess Dean needed the extra attention, you know? He didn't have anyone constantly worrying over him, and paying attention to him. I had Dean."

In the car behind them, Bobby _was_ worrying about Dean. "Boy, it's in everyone's best interest to be up front with me. There is something on your mind that your not telling me."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Come on, Bobby. I told you about my deal. You really think I have any _worse_ secrets?"

"I don't care if it's _worse_... but it's written all over your face. I can read you just as easy I could your daddy."

Dean turned away, and Bobby took it as a sign. "Is that what this is about? John?"

"No, Bobby. It's not. I _told_ you, I'm fine. I can't believe I'm stuck in this moving therapy office." Dean muttered the last part.

Bobby sighed. He wasn't going to get to Dean, no matter how hard he tried. The kid had always been private. He just hoped that whatever Dean was hiding wasn't going to come back and bite them all in the end.

…

_"What do you mean, not from_ me?"

_The demons eyes were gleaming. She strutted towards him, running her fingers down his arm. "It means, I'm already taking your soul. And your brothers already dead... what else do you even have to loose?"_

_Dean clenched his jaw, moving away __slightly__ at her touch. "Then_ what _do you want, bitch?" He spoke through his teeth._

_The demon frowned. "Now, that's no way to talk to a lady. Especially not the lady who's about to save your brothers life." She paused, taking him in. "Listen closely, Dean Winchester. This is the only offer you're going to get."_


	29. Blood

When Megan woke up, she felt like her whole body was on fire.

She could feel it in her heart- the fiery pain- and it spread slowly all the way to her fingertips and toes. She couldn't breathe, and she couldn't move.

Her eyes were open, and she could hear herself screaming, but she was in no control of it. She felt the car stop, and she could feel Sam's hands on her.

"Megan!? Megan, what's wrong?" He was yelling, but she couldn't respond. He was hovering over her, and she was looking into his eyes, begging silently for his help.

And then, it was over.

As quickly as the feeling had begun, it ended. She sat up, quickly, grasping at Sam for support. She tried to catch her breath, and Sam held onto her.

Dean and Bobby swung open the door. "What the hell happened?"

Megan held onto Sam's arm for dear life. "I don't- I don't know!" Her voice was hoarse. "I felt... I was on fire," She lied her head against Sam's chest.

"You were sleeping, and you just started screaming." Sam looked up at Dean. "I didn't know what to do."

They waited with her until she insisted they started driving again. She didn't want to hold everyone back. "It's okay, really. I feel better now."

They were hesitant, but they finally agreed.

Megan sat in silence as Sam drove. She held her arms close to her body. She could feel Sam looking over to her. She knew he was just worried, but it still bothered her.

"I could feel it, Sam..." She breathed. "I could feel it in me."

"Feel what?" Sam didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. It was all too similar to his own problem, yet... different somehow.

"I don't know. It's not _me_... it's something foreign. But I can feel it." She felt hot tears run down her face, but she didn't even try to hide it. "Someone _did_ this to me... I don't know how I know, but I do. I wasn't _born_ like this. This isn't me... this can't be me..."

Sam didn't know what to say to that. "We're going to figure out what's wrong with you, Megan. I promise you. And we'll figure out who did this to you..."

"I know. But... but what if there's no fixing me? What if we figure out what I am, and why... and there is nothing we can do?"

"There's always something we can do. You'll see." Sam didn't really believe that. He knew from personal experience that sometimes... there was no going back. But how can you saw that to someone? You don't. You tell them there's hope. Not because there is, but because they deserve to think so.

"Yeah, maybe..." Megan said, unconvinced.

…

"I'm not so sure she's gonna make it, Dean." Bobby sighed from the passenger side. Dean had taken over driving to give the older man some time to rest, but Bobby couldn't sleep.

"Why not?" Dean asked, worriedly. He wanted to believe that she would be okay, regardless of her _predicament_, but Bobby usually knew what he was talking about.

"Whatever she is, it's not agreeing with her. You saw her. It's killing her."

"How can that be?"

Bobby thought for awhile before answering. He honestly wasn't sure. "I don't know. But I'd bet that wasn't the last time she has an attack like that."

Dean looked at the car in front of them. He could see the silhouette of Sam and Megan's figure, and he felt a pang of guilt.

_You had to do it, Dean..._*He told himself. _You had no other choice._

…

_"That girl of yours is pretty special, you know." The demon continued._

Special? _"What are you talking about?"_

_"What, you don't know?" The demon back away a few steps. "Didn't you think it was a little_ odd _how she was able to find Sam?"_

_"How do you even know about that?'_

_The demon shrugged. "I hear things. She's somethin' else, Dean. You better be careful with her."_

_"Would you just get to the point?" Dean growled._

_"Fine. I want her blood."_

_"What?"_

_"Her blood, you moron. She's powerful, and I want to know_ how _powerful." She crossed her arms, waiting for him to argue farther._

How the hell do I get her blood? _"I don't know..."_

_"Well you better figure it out, buddy. Or you won't be seeing poor Sam alive, again." She knew she had him by the look on his face. She reached down and pulled a vile from her pocket. "Here," she said, handing it to him. "Fill up the vile with her blood, and bring it to a crossroads in two months. I'll be waiting."_

_Dean grabbed the vile. "Two months? Why two months?"_

_"Because that's what I said. God, you Winchesters just have to know_ everything_."_

_Dean gripped the vile. "And what happens if I don't bring it in two months?"_

_"Then little Sammy goes back into the ground."_

_Dean clenched his fists. He had to do it. He had to save his brother... but the only way was to give the demon Megan's blood. "Fine. I'll do it. You'll have the vile back in two months."_

_The demon grinned. "Excellent. Now, how about we seal this deal?"_

_She pulled him down to her level, and pressed her lips against his. When she pulled away, the deal was done._

…

Dean couldn't help but feel he had made a mistake. He _had_ to save Sam. He couldn't just let him die. But maybe the price was too much. Who knew what the demon would do with her blood? But it couldn't be good.

He knew how scared she was. And he knew she didn't deserve it. But what else could he do?

_**Thank y'all for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Tell me- what did you think of Dean's deal? Is he going to go through with it? If he is, how will he get so much of Megan's blood? Come on! I'm interested to hear your theories! **_


	30. Ruby

They kept driving until it was long after night had fallen. The road was dark, and hard to see. But it was hard to miss what was directly up ahead.

"What the hell? Sam?" Megan sat in the drivers seat. Sam was asleep beside her. She reached over and woke him up.

Sam woke up bleary eyed, looking through the blurry windshield. He didn't see it right away, but as his vision cleared it became quite obvious.

Five people stood in a line across the street. They would have took them as zombies, but they stood perfectly still, which zombies never did. They were staring straight at the car, which was only half a dozen yards away.

Sam looked back to Bobby and Dean's car. He could faintly see them, but not enough to communicate. "Let's just... turn the car around. They aren't moving."

Megan nodded. "They're really freakin' me out, man..."

"I have no idea what they're doing..."

Megan put the car in reverse, and drove backward a little.

As soon as the car started to move again, they pounced.

Five black-eyed demons ran straight towards the car, and there was nothing they could do about it. Megan tried to drive away, but they smashed through the drivers side window like it was nothing, and pulled her out.

"Megan!" Sam pulled out his gun, but he knew it was useless against the demons. He ran out of the car, running to help her.

Megan was a decent shot, but she wasn't a fighter. She had never been too strong, but almost a whole year of not eating enough left her thin and weak.

One of the demons had her pinned to the ground, but Sam managed to pull it off of her.

Dean and Bobby weren't far behind them. Three of the demons ran at them. Dean fell backwards, taking one down with him. Bobby was able to throw a punch before getting hit himself.

No one had any idea of what to do, and no one had any time to even think.

But suddenly...

Sam was pinned down by one of the demons when someone thrust a knife thorough its chest. It shouldn't have done anything but piss it off, but instead bright light shone out of it, and the demon collapsed onto Sam.

Sam looked up to find a short blonde woman standing over him with a curved, serrated-edged knife with a wooden handle, and strange markings carved into it.

She only looked at him for a moment before running over to Megan. She stabbed the demon attacking her the same way she had before, and it, too, died instantly.

Then she ran to help Dean and Bobby.

Sam pushed the demons body off of himself. He checked it's pulse. Not only was the demon dead, but so was the host.

He ran over to Megan, who was just standing up herself. "Who the hell is she?"

"I have no idea, but she saved our asses. You okay?"

Megan nodded.

They followed the blonde woman to where Dean and Bobby were. She had killed all three demons already, her knife red with blood.

They stood around her, unsure of what to think or say.

"What...? No thank you?" She was breathing heavily.

"Who the hell are you?" Dean gun was up and pointing at her, as was Bobby's. They knew better than to trust strangers- even hunters.

"The chick who just saved your ass. Isn't that enough?"

"Not for us, sweetheart. You a hunter or something?"

The woman laughed. "Not even close." She blinked, and her eyes flooded with black. "My name is Ruby. I know, a demon, but what are you gonna do?"

"You're a demon?" Megan repeated. "Then why are you helping us?"

"And _how _did you help us? You can't kill a demon with a knife!" Sam added.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "This isn't an ordinary knife. It's ancient, older than me. And it's incredibly powerful, as you all just found out. Your welcome, by the way."

"So why help us?" Sam repeated.

Ruby rolled her eyes at him. "Its none of your business, who I choose to help, or why."

"So, what? We're just supposed to trust you?" Dean asked, taking a step forward.

"I don't expect you to," Ruby glanced over at Sam. "But it's kinda you're only shot."

"At what, exactly?"

"At not going to Hell."

That shut Dean up, at least for the moment. He lowered his gun, slightly.

Bobby took over for him. "How do you even know about that?"

Ruby shrugged. "I hear things."

"We're gonna need a little more than _that._"

She sighed, exasperated. "Look, I know who holds your deal. Her name is Lilith, and she's a bad son-of-a-bitch. I _work_ for her, or at least she thinks I do."

"No way." Dean pushed in front of Bobby to stand right in front of her. "We're not trusting you. No way."

"Dean, wait-"

"No! Sam. We'd be idiots to."

"I can _help_ you, Dean." Ruby argued, leaning up into his face. "You'd be an _idiot_ not to."

"Dean... come here."

"Sam-"

Sam grabbed his brothers shoulder and pulled him off to the side. "Dean, please... just..." Sam sighed. How could he make Dean understand? "This may very well be our only shot. _Your_ only shot."

"She's a _demon_, Sammy!" Dean quarreled. "I don't care if she _can_ help me. At the end of the day, she's bad news. End of story."

"Would you quit that!" Sam yelled, louder than he meant to. He lowered his voice and continued. "Would you quit acting like you don't even _care_ that you're dying. Because I _know_ you do, Dean. I _know_ you. And God damn it, even if you don't- you could do it for _me_."

Dean clenched his jaw. "Fine. She can stay. But that doesn't mean I trust her."

"Get in line."

"So what? You boys gonna _let me live_, or what?"

…

They drove straight through the rest of the night.

Ruby stayed in the car with Dean and Bobby so Dean could keep an eye on her. It didn't take too long for Bobby to fall asleep in the backseat. And then Ruby started talking.

"It's really quite heroic what you did," She leaned over from the passenger seat. "Saving your brother and all. Especially after you knew what he was."

"What are you talking about?" Dean didn't look over at her. He wasn't going to let her get in his head. He wasn't going to let her get to him.

"You know, his destiny. Who he was _supposed_ to be. I mean, it must have taken a lot of guts. Here you are, daddy's little soldier, going against his last order. He told you to kill him, and you did the _exact_ opposite." She was smirking, and it took all of Deans limited self-control to not take her knife and stab her right there.

"How do you even know about that?" He growled.

"I told you. I know things." She leaned in closer, her fingers dragging over his shoulder. "You know what else I know? I know all about your little deal with the devil. _All_ of it."

Dean gulped, trying not to let his fear show through. He glanced back at Bobby, but he was still asleep. "Could you just shut up for like 20 minutes? Do you have a demonic off button or something?"

"Don't worry- I don't blame you, Dean. You were only trying to save Sam." She backed away, settling back in her chair. "Man, you're almost out of time, aren't you? You owe her a vile of Megan's blood, when? Tomorrow night?"

Dean stayed silent.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now, how are you going to go about getting that?"

"I'll figure something out."

"I guess you could just bring her off to the side while everyone's asleep and slit her wrist-"

"Would you shut up!" Dean couldn't listen to her anymore. "God dammit! The only reason you're still breathing right now is because you're supposed to be _helping_ me out of this God forsaken deal! Not to be a freakin' bitch!"

"I _am_ trying to help." Ruby retorted. "You need to complete this part of the deal tomorrow, or else Sam goes back into the ground, and then there's nothing I can do."

"I'm well aware, thank you."

"Now, now. There's no reason to get your panties in a bunch. I'll be quiet."

They sat in silence, listening to Bobby snoring in the back.

Dean knew he was doing the right thing. He was saving Sam's life- how could he not be?

But he didn't want to hurt Megan, and how else could he get her blood? He had a lot to think about before tomorrow night. There was only one thing he was absolutely certain of:

He was not asking Ruby for help.


	31. Time is Up

Dean could feel the timer ticking down through the next day. They only had one pit stop, and he found himself silent the whole time.

Before they went off to their respective vehicles, Sam pulled him off to the side. "Are you okay, Dean? You seem really off."

"Yeah, dude, I'm fine." Dean assured him.

Sam frowned at him for a moment. Dean hated when Sam gave him that look- those pitying sad eyes that felt like they were looking right into his head. Finally, he said, "You know you can tell me anything, Dean. If there's something wrong..."

Dean felt like his throat close up on him. "Sammy, I told you, I'm fine." He wanted to tell him the truth about his deal, but he knew exactly what Sam would say. He'd want Dean to just let him die, and Dean was not prepared to do that.

After that, they went on driving.

They managed to find an abandoned truck a few hours later that still had gas in it. It was a lucky break, really. Dean quietly prayed for another.

When it got dark, they all agreed it was best to stop. Dean brought it up, knowing it was the only way this was going to happen.

"I agree. I think we could all use a rest." Ruby agreed, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows. Dean wasn't sure she helped at all, but he knew why she did it. She wanted him to go through with it. He was a little worried that if he chickened out, Ruby would do it herself.

Dean waited for everyone to fall asleep. Ruby, of course, didn't need to, but she hung out in the car, silently, as Dean snuck out.

He quietly opened the car door where Megan was sleeping. He thought about just picking her up and praying she didn't wake up, but he knew she would. Finally, he decided on just waking her up himself. "Megan," He whispered, gently shaking her arm. He kept an eye on Sam, who was fast asleep beside her.

Megan opened her eyes slowly. "Dean? What is it? Is something wrong?"

_Yes._ "No, nothing. I just... can you come with me?"

Megan looked hesitant, but finally nodded. "Yeah. Sure..."

He helped her out of the truck, and led her out past the road. There was a lot of trees all around. They walked for a while, listening to the sounds of bugs and squirrels.

"Where are we going, Dean?"

_I don't know. Far enough away so that nobody hears us. _"I just thought I'd go for a walk."

"Then why am I here?"

_You don't want to know._ "I... I just thought you'd like to come..." He knew she wasn't falling for it. It was pretty obvious. He knew he had to do this quick, but he was trying to work up the nerve.

Megan smiled slightly.

"Whats so funny?"

"Nothing," Megan shook her head. "It's just... funny. That's all."

"What is?"

"You know you're not getting laid just cause you take me out on a walk, right?"

"What? No! No, that's not-"

"Okay! Okay! Sorry, you're right. This is a very lovely walk." Megan grinned to herself.

Dean clenched his fists. He had to do it now. He was running out of time, and he couldn't take it any more. He didn't know what was going to happen when he got back, but it didn't matter. It would be over.

He could feel the vile in his pocket as he pulled out a knife. "Megan," his voice was shaky. He hid the blade behind his back, trying to think of what to say. Maybe if he explained his situation, she would help him. But no... giving her blood to the demon was only asking for more trouble. It was insane... this whole plan was insane.

"Yeah?"

She turned to look at him, and her eyes met his. He looked into her eyes, and knew he couldn't do it. Not to her. "Uh... you should go back, now."

Megan frowned. "What? Why?"

He carefully slid the knife away. "I just... I need to take care of something."

"I knew you'd chicken out." They both turned to Ruby's mocking voice. She had followed them out into the woods. She knew Dean would never do this alone.

"What are you talking about?" Megan glanced between the two of them, who were glaring at each other. "Dean?"

"Dean here hasn't told you everything." Ruby smirked.

"Shut up, Ruby. You don't know what you're talking about." Dean growled, walking slightly in front of Megan.

"Oh really? So you _weren't_ taking her out here so you could get some of her blood?"

"_What?_" Megan couldn't understand anything they were saying. "Dean, what the hell is she talking about?"

"The other part of his deal for Sam's life."

"Megan, go back to the car." Dean ordered, not taking his eyes off of Ruby.

"No, Dean, I-"

"Now!" Dean yelled, making Megan flinch.

She ran off, hesitantly, at first. But as she thought about it, things were starting to make sense. _Oh God..._ She realized. _I have to get Sam..._

Ruby crossed her arms, frowning. "Well, great, now she's gone. What are you gonna do now, genius?"

"You know what, Ruby? I don't like you. Not at all. And I certainly don't trust you." At this point he was just trying to distract her long enough for Megan to get back to the group. He was also trying to postpone the decision he had to make. "But you might be a necessary evil. So I'm going to let you stay. But you will _not_ touch her, you got it?"

"Fine. I'll leave her be. But what are you going to do? You didn't get her blood."

"I'll figure it out. Just... go back to the group and stall for me, okay?"

…

"Sam! Sam!" Sam woke up rather abruptly to Megan's face hovering over his.

"Megan? What's wrong? What are you-"

"It's Dean!"

That was all that was needed to get Sam's attention. He shot up immediately. "What about Dean?" Where is he?"

"He's out in the woods with Ruby. But Sam- I think Dean did something stupid. Ruby was talking about his deal, and-"

"What's going on?" Bobby appeared beside her. He heard them talking from the other car.

"I think Dean ran out of time."

"What are you talking about? He has months left!" Sam argued, worriedly. Dean couldn't be out of time... not yet! Sam still had time to save him...

"I can explain that." Ruby strolled out of the woods, calmly.

"What did you do to my brother?" Sam accused, stepping out of the car. "Where is he?"

Ruby held up her hands in mock surrender. "I didn't do anything to him. He did this to himself."

…

Dean paced back and forth in the crossroad. The demon said she would meet him here- he just had to wait.

"Oh good, you made it." Dean heard her voice from behind him. He spun around to face her. She wore a short black dress and heels. He could feel his body trembling.

He took the filled vile from his pocket. "I give you this- and the deal is final. No changes- no take backs."

"No changes. No take backs," she repeated, holding her hand out, expectantly.

He tried to stable his hand as he placed the vile on her palm. Her fingers curled around it, greedily. She grinned, holding it up in front of her face. "So you really did it? I'm surprised, honestly."

"Well, a deal's a deal. We good?" Dean didn't want to be here any longer than necessary.

"Just a moment." She unscrewed the top, exposing the blood. The demon dipped the tip of her finger into the vile and pulled it back out. Her eyes flickered to Dean as she held it up.

"What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"Excuse me?"

Dean jumped at the sound of the vile being crushed in her hand. Blood and glass fell to the ground. In an instant, she was right in front of him, her hand gripping his arm. She tore down his sleeve, exposing a fresh cut. "You think I'm that stupid? This isn't her blood! It's yours!"

…

_God dammit... God dammit! _"You're sure he went this way?" Sam asked Ruby for the thousandth time.

Ruby groaned. "Yes, I'm sure. I watched him go this way. He's obviously going to the nearest crossroad, anyway."

"I can't believe he was that stupid!" Sam muttered, mostly to himself. Was Dean ever actually planning on going through with this? Giving a demon Megan's blood? Who knew what she was going to do with it?

But now... he was going in empty handed. There was no way the demon was going to handle it well. They had to get there fast, or Sam feared the worst.


	32. I'm Goin' Down

"I'm sorry, I-"

"No! The deal is off!" The demon raised her hand, prepared to snap, clearing the deal entirely. It would mean Dean was safe. But it would also mean Sam would die.

"Wait, please! You can't!" Dean begged, just like he had a month ago when he was in the same position. "You can't kill him. Please- kill me! Kill me instead!"

"That wasn't the deal." She paused, dropping her hand.

"Think of it this way: you don't even have to wait the full year! You can have my soul- right now!" Dean was terrified. He was terrified of death. Of Hell. But mostly, he was afraid for Sam. She _had_ to accept his offer, or else there was nothing else he could do.

The demon smiled, faintly, and Dean knew she would. "Okay. I accept." She snapped her fingers, but nothing happened.

Dean was about to ask when he heard the growling.

_Hellhounds._

…

"Sh!" Sam yelled, hushing everyone. "Do you hear that?"

Everyone paused, listening. They _did_ hear that. It was a woman's voice, but it was hard to hear what she was saying. Sam didn't care- she _had_ to be with Dean. He ran off, following the sound of her voice. He could hear Ruby, Bobby, and Megan yelling at him, but he ignored it.

He pushed past the wall of bushes and trees, ending up on the other side at a road. Just a few yards away, the road came to a crossroads, and he saw Dean standing there with a black-eyed woman. Neither saw him.

"Okay, I accept."

The woman spoke smoothly, smiling evilly. _No... I'm too late..._

"Dean!" He called, running toward his brother. Dean turned and saw Sam for the first time.

"Sam?" There were tears in his green eyes.

Sam had reached them as the demon said, "You might want to stand back Sam. I can hear them, already." And with that, she disappeared.

"Hear who?" Sam repeated, facing Dean. "Dean, hear who?"

Dean opened his mouth, but just then Bobby, Megan, and Ruby appeared from the trees. He tried again, quietly, "Hellhounds, Sam."

Sam shook his head. "No. No no no! You still have time! It's only been a couple of months!"

"I'm sorry, Sammy. I... I couldn't..." He let his eyes flicker to Megan as she and the other two approached.

"Dean, wait..." Her voice was small, like she was a little kid looking for her mom. "Dean. You can have the blood- It's okay, I understand- "

"It's too late." Dean took a few steps back, holding his hand out to stop them from following. "I... I see them."

Sam felt his breath catch in his throat. "Dean-"

"It's okay, Sammy. Please..." Dean didn't know what to say, but he didn't want to see his little brother crying. Not now. He didn't want that to be his last vision of Sam. "Don't worry about me, Sammy. I know you tried- I know you wouldn't have given up on me. But it's over now."

While he was speaking, he could hear the growling growing louder as they approached, and he knew the others couldn't hear it.

"Back up- Now." Dean backed away as well. He didn't want anyone getting caught in the crossfire. "Please... just... you don't have to see this. Just, go."

Sam started to protest, but Bobby grabbed his arm. He could feel hands pulling him away, but he didn't want to go. He wanted to be there for Dean when...

Dean turned away from them, and barely had time to prepare himself before the first one pounced. It threw him backwards and landed on top of him. He felt it's claws digging into his chest, and he couldn't help a scream of pain from escaping his lips. He wished he had been alone for this part.

There were three, and they were all on him now. All he could see, think, hear, feel, and taste was blood. Blood pumping in his ears, blood in his mouth and lips and running down his chest and legs. Everything was red and everything was pain. And then... he felt himself slipping. He felt his body give up, give into the pain. He felt his essence- his soul leaving his body, and he knew exactly where it was going.

Down.

…

"Sam!" Bobby was trying to keep him still, so he didn't run off to his brother. Not yet... not until they were sure.

Bobby couldn't even come to terms with what happened, himself. He had only just gotten his boys back. He didn't know it would be so soon that he lost them, again.

But now wasn't the time to be emotional about it. He had two kids here who were going to be plenty emotional themselves, and a _demon_ who had promised to help, but obviously did not go through with her offer.

Sam was a wreck. They pulled him away into the trees, but all the trek back to the camp, he could hear Dean screaming, until it suddenly stopped.

He sat in the truck, holding his head in his hands, trying to stop the sobbing that seemed to never cease.

Megan felt oddly... empty. She had been on autopilot before, helping Sam back to camp. She felt like it was something she had to do, so she did.

But now they were back, she had a chance to think. She didn't know why the demon had wanted her blood, and it terrified her.

Dean had been planning to do it since Sam woke back up- this whole time he knew what he was going to do. But he didn't do it. He had every chance, but he wouldn't do it.

He knew. He must have known what the demon wanted, and it was worth risking his life.

It was that thought that broke her.

He didn't just die for Sam. He died for her, too. And there was nothing she could do about it. Even with all her powers, she couldn't save him, or anyone else for that matter.

_What is the point?_ She thought, hopelessly. _What's the point of all this, if I can't even help my friends?_

…

Ruby stood back, watching from afar. She knew they wouldn't want to see her yet. Not after what had happened with Dean.

Secretly, Ruby knew the plan. She knew what the demons were planning, and she was all for it. She would have to get Sam ready, but for now she would let him grieve.

Without his brother, he would be emotional and reckless. Perfect for manipulation.

The demons were going to wipe out humankind, and Sam Winchester was going to help them do it.

_**So.. Dean's dead, and the demon's plan is in motion. But what they don't know is that someone else has a plan of their own. We are very close to figuring out what Megan is, and, more importantly, how she can help stop this whole mess. Let me know what you think!**_


	33. Hell

_**Four months later**_

Dean had felt nothing but pain for a long time.

That's all Hell was- pain and suffering that went on forever. He was tortured, he tortured others. He was in pain, and he brought pain to other trapped souls.

Hell was excruciating pain, the smell of seared flesh, the sounds of tortured screams, the feeling of hopelessness.

That was all he had felt, and all he had known for forty years in the pit. So when that beam of bright white light appeared, his soul couldn't even begin to understand what it made him feel.

_Love. Family. Hope._

At first he didn't want to go into the light. He _liked_ torturing souls. After decades of being torn into and carved up, it was enjoyable being able to have that control for once.

And besides, he was Alistair's best student. He told him all the time, how _proud_ he was of his improvements... it wasn't much of an accomplishment, a demon being proud of you, but he'd take it. He had nothing else in this pit of despair.

But then came the light. The soft, warm light- it's warmth felt different than the heat of Hell. It felt welcoming. He could feel the light beckoning to him, calling for him. It promised a way out of this place. It promised home, Earth, _Sam_...

Yet Dean hesitated. He would regret it for the rest of his life, but for a moment, he didn't want to go back to all that. To all that fruitless responsibility.

But in the end, Dean went into the light. He trusted it because it had been such a long time since he could trust anyone.

He felt something grasp his arm, and he felt a searing pain. He barely flinched. It was nothing in comparison.

He closed his eyes and felt his soul rising up above the racks, and he heard the constant screams of agony get farther and farther away.

Soon all around him he felt... nothing. Nothing but the light.

He couldn't keep track of time- Earth time and Hell time were different, and they were somewhere in between right now. But it couldn't have been too long before they made it to Earth.

For the first time in forty years, Dean could smell the cool air and feel it against his skin. He opened his eyes and saw the trees and the grass. He heard birds and insects all around. It felt like a dream. A dream he was terrified to wake up from.

Suddenly, the light surrounded him once more, and he couldn't see, hear, or feel anything until...

With a sudden jolt, Dean woke up. He felt wood against his skin, and he could barely breathe. It was dark, and he couldn't see anything. He could feel his body: his real one, not the soul that he just saw while in Hell. It was real. It was flesh and bones. He couldn't remember what had happened, or where he was. In an act of panic, he reached into his pocket and fumbled around for his lighter.

He brought it out, holding it close to his chest because there was no room for anything else, and lit it.

The small space was illuminated by the low light, and he could finally see where he was.

_A... box?_

The nailed wooden box wasn't exactly a coffin, but it was certainly acting as one. He pushed up on the top, feeling the weakness in his arms. It didn't budge, but some dirt fell through the cracks. _I'm underground..._

He knew he was running out of time and of precious air. He had to move quickly.

Years ago, his Dad took him out and taught him what to do in this situation; when you were buried alive. He had been terrified then. He was just a kid. He wasn't a kid anymore- but he could still feel that same fear.

First he put out the light, shoving it back in his pocket. He tried his best to slow his breathing, knowing panicking would only make it worse. Then he pulled his shirt up, wrapping it around only his face. That would protect him from the dirt. Finally, he tried using his legs, kicking at the frail lining of the box. He could feel it weakening. _Come on..._

Finally, the box gave in, collapsing on top of him. He felt dirt falling onto his chest and legs, and he quickly squirmed to get out. He pushed himself up, shoving dirt back into the coffin as he went. He reached up as far as he could, and suddenly he felt his fingers breach the surface.

He managed to pull his head out of the dirt, pulling his shirt back down, and finally able to breath air again.

He took a moment to enjoy the easy breathing before pulling himself out completely. He lied down on the grass, trying to understand what was happening.

He remembered Hell- every moment of it. But why was he here, now? _A light..._ He faintly remembered a light, but it was not clear.

He closed his eyes, feeling exhausted. He didn't even hear the girl until it was too late.

Dean felt hands on his shirt, his eyes flew open and were met by the cold dead eyes of a zombie. He pushed her away, and crawled backwards.

The zombie snarled, picking itself up and going after him again. He had nothing on him to defend himself with.

He sat up, scanning his surroundings. He seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, but then he saw the trees. Trees, everywhere, knocked over within his radius. That was _not_ a good sign. Not at all.

He tried to stand up, but everything ached. The girl was on him again, and all he could think was that he _just_ got out of Hell. He didn't want to go back so soon.

He pushed her back and held her down. She struggled against him, and Dean could tell just how strong she was. She was snapping at his hands, and finally he had to let her go. He considered going for his lighter, which was all he had with him, but he wasn't sure that would do him any good.

The zombie got up a third time, _Jeez, these bastards are resilient!_

Suddenly, hands grabbed at the girl, spinning her around and pressing on her forehead. Her snarl turned to a scream as her whole body began to glow. Dean had to shield his eyes until he felt her slump onto his leg.

He looked up to see who the hands belonged to. A man with an unstraightened tie and a trench coat stood before him. "Hello, Dean."

Dean pushed the zombies dead(er) body off of him, and stood to face him. He stood taller than the man, and he was a bit larger than him- yet there was something about the guy that made him seem much more menacing. "Who the hell are you?" He cleared his throat, hating the hoarse sound of his own voice.

"I am Castiel. I am an Angel of the Lord."

"An Angel? You really expect me to believe that, buddy?" Dean stayed a comfortable distance from _Castiel._ Whoever this guy was, he could almost only be trouble.

Castiel eyed him, his gaze never leaving Dean. "Yes, I do. Who else could have had the power to rescue you from the pit and restore your body?"

Dean's eyes widened. "What the hell are you t-" And then it hit him. "You- You're that... that beam of light? That was you?" Castiel nodded. "But you look... human."

Castiel looked down at his body. "Yes, well, this is only a vessel. But none of that matters, Dean. I saved you from the pit because I needed you."

"You need _my_ help?" Dean looked at him, bewildered. "What could an Angel possibly need my help for?"

"I need your help to end it." Castiel answered, cryptically.

"To end what?"

Castiel looked down at the dead girl, and then back at Dean. Dean stared at her, still not understanding. "Wait... you mean the zombies? You want me to stop the zombies?"

"I want you to bring an end to the End of the World, Dean Winchester. Will you help me?"


	34. Friends with Angels

"Look, dude... I'm gonna need a little more than that." Dean turned away, thinking. His whole head hurt and he felt weak. And really thirsty. "You can't expect me to just trust you. I literally just met you. At least buy me dinner first." Dean grinned at his joke, but the Angel didn't seem to get it.

"Dinner? I saved your life. I brought you out of that _unholy_ place. What more could I do to help build your trust?" Castiel seemed agitated. He didn't have time for this. He had two apocalypses on his plate. He didn't have time to argue with this human.

Dean thought for a moment. "Take me to my brother."

Castiel's expression darkened. "I don't think that is a good idea."

_Of course not..._ "I don't care what you think. I want to see him. Is he with Bobby and Megan, still?" _Are they all still alive?_

Castiel's jaw clenched. "No. Dean... you've been under for four months up here. A lot has... changed since then."

"Like what?"

"Dean, this apocalypse is not the only one in danger of destroying what's left of this planet." Castiel sighed. "You see, the angels- my brother's and sister's- are misguided. They are scared, Dean. And my eldest brother, Michael, wants to do what he thinks our Father wants of us. To bring about the End.

There are those of us who believe our Father is more reasonable- that he wants to see this planet flourish. I am trying to lead them against Michael and the others, but I need your help."

"Wait, wait..." Dean interrupted. "_Two_ apocalypses? And what does any of this have to do with Sam?"

Castiel continued. "My brothers initially started this... zombie apocalypse, as you may call it. We refer to it as the Rise of the Dead. It was their futile attempt at an easy end. Ending the world is not easy... it takes a lot to kill off you humans. Obviously, their plan did not kill off humanity as they had hoped. So instead, they are going to try a more... formal attempt." Castiel paused, gauging Dean's reaction. "The angels are going to free Lucifer from Hell. And they are going to use your brother to do it."

"_What__?_" Dean took a step forward, surprised to see Castiel taking a cautious step back. "That's why I can't see Sam? Bullshit. I need to talk to him right now."

"I can take you to your other friends, if that would help." Castiel offered.

Dean considered it. "Why do they need my brother?"

"I'm not sure." Dean could tell right away that Castiel was lying. He knew _exactly _what they wanted Sam for.

"That's not good enough, Cas."

Cas titled his head. "I don't understand why you don't trust me. Isn't your life worth that?"

Dean clenched his jaw. "You know what, I've decided. I do want to see my friends."

Cas smiled slightly. "As you wish."

…

Bobby was asleep on the couch when he heard a noise from behind him.

He and Megan had been staying in this house for a couple weeks now. After Sam ran off with Ruby, it was just the two of them. Bobby liked Megan. She kept to herself, mostly, but she was kind and determined. He knew he could trust her, and if he couldn't be with the boys, a trustworthy friend was the next best thing.

He opened his eyes, grasping quietly for his gun. Maybe Megan was back early. Maybe those footsteps were something else.

"Bobby?"

Bobby's heart skipped a beat when he heard that voice. He knew that voice anywhere. But... that was impossible. _I__t can't be..._ Bobby stood up abruptly, whipping around, gun up and loaded.

Dean's hands went up. "Whoa, hold up there, Bobby... It's... It's me."

_It is._ "Dean? It... It can't be... you're dead. I- we, buried you."

Dean smiled slightly, shrugging. "Yeah, I know. But I'm back now."

Bobby lowered his gun, walking forward. "Is that really you, boy?" He reached out, cupping his hand on his face. He _felt_ real. "It's so good to see you," He dropped the gun completely, wrapping his arms around Dean.

Dean hugged him back. "It's good to see you, too, Bobby."

Bobby pulled away, looking at the other man, who stood beside him, rather still. "Who's your friend, here?"

Castiel didn't smile. "My name is Castiel."

"It's a long story. I'll, uh... I'll explain later." Dean promised.

"Bobby!" A voice that had to be Megan's came from across the house. All three men turned as she came into the room.

She was holding a backpack, coming back from a supply run, but when she saw Dean, she immediately dropped it. "Dean?"

Dean grinned. She looked different from the last time he saw her. She looked more confident, and stronger. Maybe all this time with Bobby was good for her. "Hey, Megan. You look great."

Megan ran over and practically jumped into his arms. "I can't believe it's you. How are you back?"

Dean glanced over at Castiel. "I think Cas, here should explain..." He noticed Castiel was staring at Megan, almost in awe. "Cas, you listenin' to me?" Castiel seemed to snap out of his trance. "Dude, I know she's pretty, but..."

Castiel looked back at Megan, confused. "This is your friend? Megan?"

"Uh," Megan felt uncomfortable with him staring at her. There was something in his eyes that made her wary. "Yeah, I am. Dean..." Her fingers gripped his jacket.

"Cas, whats wrong?"

Castiel moved a step closer to them. "I take it you don't know what she is."

The three of them shared a look of alarm and surprise. "You know what she is?" Bobby asked. He had been helping her figure that out for months now, and learned nothing new.

"Of course I do. She's an Angel."

_**Megan's secret is revealed! But its not that cut and dry. Megan's no **__**ordinary**__** Angel. She's something more.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed! Please review!**_


	35. Fallen

_**Sorry it's been so long since the last update. I hope it was worth the wait!**_

"I'm sorry?" Megan didn't even try to hold back her shock. It was the answer she had been searching for for quite a long time now... could it really be true?

"You're an angel. Or at least, you used to be. You seem to have... fallen." Castiel spoke the final word with a look of disgust that had Dean on the defensive immediately.

"What the hell does that mean? How can you stop being an angel?"

Castiel frowned. (Dean noted that he seemed to do that a lot.) "You can't. Not truly. But the closest you can get is falling, which is what Megan did. She gave up her grace and fell to the Earth as a human. She... she wouldn't have been the first. Since the disappearance of my father, the angels have gone mad. That's why they started the apocalypse in the first place."

He ignored the shocked expressions on Megan's and Bobby's faces. "Other angels, however, took a different route. They fell- they gave up their angelic grace and became human. Of course, they will never fully be human, but enough to pass by unnoticed." Cas motioned to Megan. "_Megan_, as you now call yourself, is one of them. That is why you cannot remember who you are. You chose to forget."

Megan shook her head. "How can that be true? How could I just loose all those memories?"

"Your angelic memories reside with your grace. Unless you were reunited with it, you will only recall your human-memories."

Megan put her head in her hands, and Bobby put his hand on Megan's shoulder, reassuringly. She allowed herself to sink into it. "It's okay, Megan. I'm sure this is all explainable. Right, Castiel?"

"I believe I just explained it."

"Can we... can she get her grace back?" Dean asked. They were in the middle of two apocalypses at the moment, and it would certainly give them a leg up on the bad-guys to have a super-charged Megan on their side. Assuming she was willing...

Castiel seemed hesitant. "It's possible. We'd have to find it."

"Well, how hard could that be?"

"With the war in Heaven, and the apocalypse underway, a lot of angels have been disappearing recently." Cas explained. Some of the angels in Heaven have been _collecting_ the fallen graces. If we are lucky, and I sincerely doubt we are, Megan's grace will be there."

Bobby sighed. "Let me guess. They're heavily guarded by a bunch of winged-idgits still loyal to Heaven?"

Cas squinted. "I wouldn't put it those words, but... yes. It would be, difficult, to say the least."

Megan finally spoke up. "I want to do it. I want to find my grace."

Dena eyed her, wondering if she had the same idea he had. He didn't want her to feel obligated to do anything. Especially something that put her in danger. "You don't have to, Megan..."

"Yes, I do. I have to know." Megan insisted. "Besides, once I get my grace back, I assume I'll get full use of my angelic powers, right, Castiel?"

Cas nodded.

"You guys don't have to go with me. I don't want anyone getting hurt..."

Dean shook his head. "No. If you want to do this, we'll be right there with you."

"Damn straight," Bobby tipped his cap.

"I will assist you, if you want." Cas offered. He had a feeling Megan would be essential to stopping his brothers foul plans. If nothing else, he doubted Dean would be as willing to help him if his friend went and got herself killed. Human's were irrational like that.

"We're gonna need it, Cas." Dean patted him on the shoulder. "So, when are we going?"

"I don't even know what supplies to bring for fighting _angels_..." Bobby shrugged.

"I can secure the supplies." Castiel promised. "I have some stashed away... I can retrieve them and bring them back here. "

Castiel straightened his back as if he was about to poof away, and Dean reached out to stop him. "Wait! Uh, I'll go with you..."

Castiel stared at him suspiciously for a moment before nodding. He grabbed onto Deans arm. "We'll return shortly," His addressed Bobby and Megan.

Megan blinked as the two men suddenly disappeared. "What do we do, now?"

Bobby shrugged. "I have no idea."

…

Dean felt sick when they landed. He was curled over, dry heaving because there was nothing in his system to puke up. He probably should have planned this better, and stayed back with Bobby and Megan, but he had to talk to Cas alone.

Castiel was standing over him, his hand extended. "I take it you don't feel well."

Dean laughed dryly. "I guess you could say I feel like Hell." He accepted the angels help back up to his feet. He glanced around at the broken down building they were standing in. The shattered window looked out into complete darkness. Wherever they were, it was late. "Where are we?"

"Iran. Come on, it's over here." Castiel opened the door to a smaller room and went inside. Dean hastily followed.

Cas knelt down beside a chest on the ground. What seemed to be hundreds of markings Dean didn't recognize were etched into the wood with a steady hand. "You keep your angel-killing supplies in a chest in Iraq?"

"Iran. I move the chest around often, to keep it from being found. It's warded against most everything on this Earth and beyond." Castiel replied dismissively, obviously not realizing how awesome Dean found that to be.

As Cas struggled to open it, Dean decided to take the opportunity to ask his questions. "Hey, Cas... what's going on with my brother?"

"I already told you."

"No, you told me what those demonic bastards and your crazy family want to do with him."

Castiel sighed, not looking up from the chest. "I'm afraid they got to him before we did. The demon Ruby took him somewhere we cannot find him. I do not know where he his, but I can guess what he's doing."

"What is he doing, then?"

"Training. For the apocalypse. He was always meant to be the demons leader. And once the End is over, the demons will likely take it as an opportunity to inherit the Earth, with Sam as their faithful leader.

They've had him for a long time, Dean. Training him. Brainwashing him. Even if we somehow found him, it wouldn't be Sam anymore."

Dean clenched his jaw, trying not to panic. His brother _wasn't_ gone. He couldn't be. Dean went to Hell so this kid could live. "Doesn't matter. We still have to find him."

"My brothers and sisters, and through them, the demons, know we are working against them. They know we are a threat." The latch of the chest finally gave away, and Castiel opened it. "We can look for him if you wish, but he'll more than likely find us, first."

Castiel handed Dean an Angel Blade and a bottle of Holy Oil. "Take this. I'll explain more about them when we get to the others."

Dean accepted them. "Cas... do you think we can actually win this? Even with Megan at full power?"

Castiel paused. Honestly, no. He didn't. But when humans asked questions like that, they rarely wanted the truth. "Yes. I think we are more than capable, together. But it will not be easy."

Cas grabbed his arm again, and this time gave him the opportunity to prepare himself before zapping them to the others.

…

_"I can help you, Sam... I can help you stop it all." Ruby's smooth voice whispered into his ears._

_"You and I... we can put everything back to normal." She promised. Her hands running along his sides. "No more zombies. No more running. Your friends, and a lot of good people out there, can finally get the rest they deserve. And they'll owe it all to you."_

Sam tried to push Ruby's seductive voice out of his head for the moment. It had been months since she had promised him a way to finally _win_ against the undead, and yet they had done nothing but _train _ever since. She still wouldn't tell him exactly how they were going to stop it, yet- he was going off blind faith, which he despised doing. But he had to trust her. With Dean dead, he had no one else.

"_You can trust me, Sammy. I want this as badly as you do. This is what Dean would have wanted."_

He sure hoped so.


	36. Grace

"This can only go badly," Bobby muttered to himself, clutching his Angel Blade. Megan looked terrified at the idea of actually having to stab somebody, and Dean was still fresh from the grave. They weren't exactly what he would call a _force to be reckoned with._

"It's going to be tricky to get into Heaven without being noticed." Castiel explained to the group. "I think I've found a back-way to keep us hidden, but we won't remain that way for long. Are you ready?"

Everyone glanced at each other as they nodded hesitantly. "Now or never, Cas."

Megan thought she could feel her heart stop beating, and her lungs stop pumping, and her whole body literally stop for the half-a-second before they landed. It was such a strange experience, she couldn't believe that she used to do this all the time. Although, her angelic experience probably helped her out, she figured, as she glanced at Dean and Bobby, who looked like Hell.

"I'll never fucking get used to that..." Dean breathed. "Are we here?"

They all looked around. It didn't look at all what they were expecting.

Heaven was supposed to be fluffy clouds and harps and flying babies with bows and arrows. Instead, they found themselves in an endless white hallway. The walls were blank except small grey signs marking each door.

Castiel's face was stone cold. "Follow me."

Moving through the hallway was disorienting, because you knew you were making progress, but you couldn't tell. Everything looked the same, but somehow Castiel knew exactly where they were going.

It didn't take long for someone to realize they were there. "Castiel."

A woman's cold voice came from behind them. The angel held her own Angel Blade, which she held in her hand, ready to strike.

Castiel looked at her sadly. "Amitiel, please. Do not fight me."

Amitiel shook her head. "I cannot let you pass, Castiel. I must obey Heaven's orders. It's what God wants."

"You really think our father wants this? This war? This death?"

"Have you ever actually read the bible, Castiel?" Amitiel leaped forward, lifting the blade. "This _is_ his wish."

Castiel was quick to kill, shoving the blade through her chest as she went forward. Her body went limp in his arms, and he gently laid her down.

The rest of the group stood, silently. Finally, Castiel spoke. "We have to keep moving. They know we're here."

They were almost at the door when more angels appeared. One threw Dean across the room, and he landed with a thud against the wall. Castiel launched at the closest one, knocking the blade out of his hand. The angel, now unarmed, swung at Cas with his fist, off balancing him.

Megan clutched her blade as one of the angels approached her. He was huge, two or three times Megan's size. But he didn't appear threatening- he held his hands up to show peace. "I know you're one of us- you used to be."

Megan nodded. "I don't remember anything. That's why I'm trying to find my grace."

The angel looked back at the fight. "I will help you get your grace. You have been out of it for a long time, I cannot blame you for who you have chosen to align yourself with."

Megan felt hesitant. She didn't know if she could trust this guy, yet. "What do you mean?"

"Castiel. He is a traitor. He is going against the will of Heaven, and the will of our Father. He is to be killed on sight. Help me kill him, and I will get you your grace."

Dean felt the angels fist connect with his face again and again. His sight was blurry, and he couldn't see well. "Back from Hell so soon, huh, Winchester?" The angel sneered. "And you've teamed up with the angel Castiel? Figures you'd find someone like him. Although I must say, I'm a little surprised you _want_ to stop our plan. Seeing as how you started it all."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Dean hissed, reaching for the Angel Blade he had dropped.

The angel kicked the blade away. "In Hell. All those poor souls you tortured? That was the first step- the first seal broken- towards this whole apocalypse. All us in Heaven should actually be thanking you right now."

Suddenly, Dean saw a blade go through the angels back and out his chest. The angels face suddenly changed, and bright blue light shone through. Bobby threw the body to the side, pulling out his blade. "You good?" Bobby asked, helping him up. Dean just nodded.

Bobby could tell something was wrong right away. Dean's face looked haunted. He couldn't hear what the angel had said to his boy, but whatever it was, it had seriously affected him. "Come on, boy. Let's go."

"I can't..." Megan sputtered. "Cas... he's helping us! He saved Dean!"

The angel shook his head. "He is not what you think he is. He's power-hungry. He started this war so _he _could take over Heaven himself."

Megan didn't know very much about Castiel, but she knew Dean trusted him, and she knew what he had done for them so far. "No. I won't kill him."

"Fine. Suit yourself. I'm sorry, Sister-" He reached up with the blade, going to strike. Megan threw her hand out, slicing his chest with the blade. The angel screamed out, lashing forward.

Megan managed to push the blade into his chest.

Castiel took care of the last two angels, leaving the hallway filled with only empty bodies. "This is the door." He panting.

The group approached the only door they had seen so far with no markings on it. Castiel opened the door, and they all went inside.

The room was huge, but unlike the hallway, it seemed to end. The only thing in the room were shelves, filled with small viles. Each vile contained what Dean could guess were Angel Graces.

Castiel wandered over to some of the graces. "I do not know which one is yours. Only you will know."

Megan went up to his side. She looked over the graces, but they all looked the same to her. "I... I don't know how to tell."

"You'll feel it, trust me. You'll know." Castiel took her arm, and led her down the isles.

Dean and Bobby stayed near the door, in case more angels showed up. Bobby glanced over at Dean, who was still pale. "Alright, boy, spill it. What did the angel say to ya?"

Dean didn't answer right away. "Nothin'." He lied.

"Don't you try pullin' my chain, boy. Something's seriously bothering you."

Dean looked up at Castiel and Megan. He wondered if Cas knew what the other angel told him. "I... I started this."

"Started what?"

"The angel's plan. The apocalypse. It was my fault the angels even had a chance at the whole thing."

"Wait! I... I think this is it."

Megan grasped onto one of the viles. As soon as she saw this one, she just _knew_. She knew it was hers.

It was time. Finally, she would know who she really was.


	37. Freedom

_**I know... my little cliffhangers can be so mean. It's so hard NOT to leave off on a cliffhanger when you write something like this. Anyway, that's why I try to update pretty often. This one is a bit shorter, so I'm posting it even earlier. Thanks for the reviews!**_

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dean asked for the thousandth time. He was uneasy about Megan getting her grace back. Would she still be herself? Or would she be a self-centered douche bag like all the other angels seemed to be?

"I do. I want this." Megan assured him. She had spent far too long trying to figure out what she was. She wasn't about to give up in the last half-mile.

Castiel held the vile in his hands. He could feel the warmth and energy radiating off of it. She was a powerful angel, that much he could tell. But only when her grace was returned to her, would he truly know who she was. "Are you ready to receive your true form?"

Megan didn't hesitate to say yes. She was afraid if she did, she'd change her mind.

Castiel opened the vile, and the four of them watched the blue light leak out. It was beautiful- glowing and warm and welcoming. It flew up out of the vile, and floated towards Megan. Megan tensed as it neared her, but stood still as it approached.

Abruptly, the grace changed speeds, ramming into her and cramming the light down her throat. She let out a wail as it filled her body. She felt as if her skin was being ripped off, yet it was perfectly intact.

Finally, it stopped. She felt weak at first, falling to the floor. Bobby was the first to help her up. "Megan? You okay, kid? You with me?"

Megan nodded lethargically. Dean turned to Cas for answers. "What the hell, dude? I thought she would be... stronger?"

Cas didn't answer. He just stared at her.

After a few moments, Megan felt her body change again. She _felt_ it now. Her grace. Her power. It was white hot inside her, but it didn't hurt. It just _was. _Suddenly, she felt powerful. She knew her own strength for the first time in a long time. And most importantly, she _remembered._

She looked up at the three men. "I know who I am."

"So do I." Castiel stepped forward. "You're... you're an Angel of Freedom."

…

"What the hell is an Angel of Freedom?" Dean questioned. The two angels were staring at each other with a look of understanding. He didn't like it. He was an outsider now, and he needed insider knowledge. "Hello?"

"They are very powerful angels." Castiel explained. "Sometimes known as Malachim or the Tarshashim. Her purpose is to remove the obstacles to freedom. She, and other Angels of Freedom, were the first to truly accept the Human Race. That is why they chose falling over the apocalypse."

"It's not very clear..." Megan admitted. "But I remember some of my time as an angel."

Castiel's eyes widened. "This... this is good news. Megan, you are more powerful than I even thought. You are the key we've been waiting for."

"How?"

"Do you know the story of Lilith?" Castiel asked.

Dean shrugged. "Kinda. She was the chick before Eve. But she got kicked out cause she wouldn't listen to Adam."

Castiel nodded. "She chose to go her own way. She chose freedom. But because of that, she was sent away, and doomed to an eternity in Hell and became the first demon. She lost the freedom she had gained. She became the Devil's minion. That's why Megan can destroy her. She is the Angel of Freedom. She is the exact opposite of what Lilith is. Megan won't just kill her. She will wipe her from existence."

"But Lilith-"

"Lilith is the final seal. Simply killing her will break the seal, freeing Lucifer from his cage. That is what my brothers are trying to do. But if Megan destroys her, no one will ever be able to kill her. There will be no way to open the cage, and this will all be over."

"But how? I have no control over my powers! I'm practically starting over!" Megan was scared. She felt a new wave of responsibilities that she couldn't fulfill.

"I can train you. I can help you," Castiel promised. "But you have to, Megan. You're our only hope."

"Now hold on, Princess Leia." Dean stepped forward. "Let me talk to Obi-wan over here alone for a minute, okay?" Castiel sighed before nodding and disappearing. Dean turned back to Megan. "You okay?"

"How could I be okay, Dean?" Megan covered her face, turning away. "Cas basically just told me I'm the _only_ one who can stop the angels and demons from _ending the world!_"

Megan slumped forward into his arms. "It's okay, Megan. You don't have to do this if you don't want to." He promised. "We'll figure something else out."

Megan shook her head. "No. No, I have to. I can't... I can't just sit back and let this happen."

Dean had to admire her for that. He called Castiel back and Megan accepted her fate. She would help them stop the Apocalypse.

Castiel wanted to tell her the truth, he really did. But he knew she would never accept if she knew. He knew that this was all for the greater good.

Megan would die with Lilith, it was the only way- but she would save so many more. In the end, it was worth it... _wasn't it?_


	38. War

"Sam, I have news." Ruby had been training Sam for months now. She would have rather spent more time with him, but they had bigger problems now. Some of the other demons told her what she never thought was possible.

Dean Winchester was up and kicking.

"Are you finally going to tell me what we're doing here?" Sam groaned. He was stronger- way stronger. He could feel Ruby's blood pulsing through his veins. He knew that whatever they had to do, he would be up for it.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "No. We have a problem. And you're not going to take it well."

"Come on, Ruby, spit it out. I don't have the patience right now."

"It's your brother. He's out of Hell."

Sam froze. "_What?_"

Ruby chose her words carefully. Sam was fragile, and he stood the chance of falling apart at just the mention of his lost brother. He wasn't going to like what she said, but she had to say it. It was the only way to convince him to continue their plan. "Don't get too excited. He's not your brother anymore, Sam. Yes, it's _him._.. but he's different. Trust me when I say this, Hell changes people."

"I don't care! We have to go to him!" Sam argued, grabbing onto Ruby's wrists. Ruby noted his strength. He was getting stronger everyday. "Take me to him!"

"I can't, Sam. It's not that simple. Remember those angels we are working with to stop all this?" Sam nodded, his jaw clenching in impatience. "Well, not all angels were on board. Some of them rebelled, claiming God didn't want humans to survive. They got to Dean first. The angel Castiel has him _under his wing_, so to speak. They're going to try and stop us."

"No- Dean would never do that!" Sam pushed himself away. "Hell or not, Dean wouldn't want to end the world like that!"

"I told you, Sam. Dean's not your brother anymore. He's Hell's bitch, and he's working with those sons-of-bitches whether you believe it or not." Ruby knew this would be tricky. Sam would never go against his brother willingly, but if he gave into his brother, the demons would never respect him as their leader. She had to turn the tides, and quickly. "We have to stop him. Before he stops us."

…

Castiel took Megan somewhere to train. It had been two days since he saw either of them, and Dean was not liking it. "They could at least let us know what's going on!" Dean growled, pacing around the shack he and Bobby were staying in until their return.

"You're worrying too much, Dean." Bobby replied, not really paying attention. He was knee deep in lore books about Angels, trying to learn as much as he could about them.

"_Worrying_ too much?" Dean repeated. "I'm sorry, Bobby. I'll just forget about my two angel friends who aren't picking up their God damn phone, and my brother whose being used as some demons _bitch_ right now!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, son." Bobby closed his current book, finding the words blurring together after hours and hours of reading. "I just think you need to relax a bit. You've only been topside for a few days, ya know."

Dean sighed. "Sorry, Bobby. You're right. I just need to-"

"Dean!" Before he could finish speaking, Megan appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye.

"Holy shit! Jeez, Megan. You're going to give me a heart attack..."

"Sorry. I'm just excited." She wrapped her arms around him, making him forget for a moment that she was an ancient being, more powerful than anyone or anything else he had ever met. "I can totally teleport _anywhere_, now. It's awesome."

"And that isn't all she can do." Castiel appeared beside Bobby. "We've been training non-stop. She's relearning how to control her powers. She's... very powerful."

"We just wanted to check on you guys. Make sure everything's okay." Megan smiled.

Dean frowned. Bobby answered, "As good as we could be, I guess. Hey, Cas. I had some questions about angels. I've been reading lore..." Bobby led Cas over to his stack of books.

Megan tapped on Deans arm, bringing his attention back to her. "Hey, come on. I wanna show you something. Hold on..." She grabbed his hand, and they disappeared.

When they landed, Dean expected to feel as out-of-it as he did with Cas, but for whatever reason, he felt fine. "Wow, that actually went smoothly..."

Megan grinned. "I'm more powerful than Cas. I have more control over my 'passengers' when I fly."

Dean glanced around. They were in a house. It was a mess, as were most houses these days, but he didn't recognize it. "Where did you take us?"

"This is where I lived. As a human, anyway." Megan walked over to her shelf, where a broken picture frame was fallen over. She picked it up, and handed it to Dean.

Dean took the photo. It was a picture of a little girl in shorts and a tank top. Her arms were around a golden retriever that was bigger than her. "This is you?"

"Yeah, when I was six. This isn't my apartment, it's my parents house." Megan explained. "I, uh... I came her earlier to see if they were here... its was stupid, really. Of course they weren't here."

"I'm sorry, Megan." Dean put the photo back down. It seemed oddly invasive of her privacy right now. "I didn't know that you..."

"I didn't... expect them to be alive or anything, if that's what you mean. I just had to know for sure." She sat down on the bed that used to be hers, and Dean sat beside her. "You may think that angels don't have feelings- that emotion is a purely human concept. But you're wrong. Our feelings are just muted. We are able to ignore them- usually. But some of us, like me and Cas, we can't do that anymore. Once you have a taste of emotion, whether it be good or bad, you can't stop."

"Cas feels emotions?" Dean scoffed. "I doubt it. Dude's like a machine."

"You'd be surprised, Dean. He's still new at it. It takes time to adjust. But he cares about mankind. He cares about you. I can see it." Megan's mind was bursting with information. She had been human for so long, she got used to it. But now she remembered everything, and at times it was a bit much. But she was still and angel, and she could see herself in Castiel.

"If you say so..." Dean surely appreciated what Cas was doing for them, but he wasn't _really_ doing it for him. Just like he didn't rescue Dean from Hell for him. He was on a mission, and he needed Dean's help. After all, he did start the whole mess. "Why'd you bring me out here, Megan?"

Megan sighed. "I just wanted you to know I'm still me. I'm not human, but I'm still myself. And I'm going to be here, with you, until this is all over."

Dean smiled, a real smile. "Thanks, Megan."

"Now, come on." Megan stood, pulling Dean up with her. "We have a war to start."


	39. We Meet Again (Sorta)

_**There's only a few chapters left of this story! I know, it's so sad. But, like all great stories, it must come to an end. Thank you to those who have been reading I started writing this, and all of those who have tagged along since! Enjoy!**_

"We have to find Lilith." Castiel looked around the group- his group. These were the people he had chosen to help him save the world from his wayward brothers and sisters.

An Angel of Freedom who had seemed to forget what it meant to be an Angel. An old hunter, lost in the world of the undead. And a boy, a brother, who went to Hell and back for the very person he would have to fight, now.

"Megan is ready. I believe she could fight Lilith, and win."

"And how do we do that?" Dean asked. "How do we find her?"

Castiel frowned. He was really starting to like this group. He only hoped that as many as possible would survive this fight. "Lilith is well hidden. It will be hard to find her ourselves. The best thing to do is find someone with insider knowledge."

"Like who?"

…

Sam shoved an Angel Blade into the zombie, dragging it upwards and tearing the monster practically in half.

Ruby took care of the last zombie, and ran back up with Sam. "That's it," She breathed, still slightly out of breath from the fight. "That's where they are."

Sam didn't reply. He just stared at the house where his brother- no, not his brother, just another demon- was staying. He remembered what Ruby said.

_"I know they were once your friends, Sam. But they aren't anymore. They are _lost, _much like you once were. What's most important now is taking down this major threat. That's all they are- a threat."_

Ruby eyed him. "You sure you're ready for this? Do you need more...?" Ruby smiled, holding out her pale white arm.

Sam felt himself being pulled to her blood- he could _hear_ it pumping, _feel_ it running over his teeth. But he shook his head. He needed to get this over with.

Ruby nodded. "Okay. Let's do this, Sammy."

…

Castiel stopped, and stared at seemingly nothing. "Cas, what's up?" Dean knew that look. Something bad was happening.

"I can sense... a demon. Right outside." He warned.

Dean's fists clenched. It _had_ to be Ruby... he could feel it.

Before anyone could answer, the door flew open, and a dark-haired woman ran in. She held an Angel Blade, and was going straight for Dean.

Castiel ran forward, ramming into the girl and knocking them both over. He wrestled the blade away. He held it in the air, prepared to stab it into her chest, when, "CASTIEL! STOP!"

Sam was standing in the doorway, pointing a gun at the Angel.

"Sammy..." Dean breathed. Sam didn't even look at him.

Castiel didn't budge. "A gun won't help you, boy. It won't hurt me."

Sam smirked, making Dean feel numb. "It's not the gun that kills. It's the bullets." He squeezed the trigger, sending a silver-colored bullet through Castiel's shoulder.

Castiel called out in agony, falling backwards. He held his bleeding shoulder.

Megan ran over to him, looking at the bullet wound. "What did you shoot him with?"

"Melted Angel Blades," Sam answered, lowering the gun. "Megan. You look different."

Megan didn't answer, she just held Castiel.

Bobby was the first to step forward. "Sam- what are you doing, boy? You just disappeared one night. And now, you come back with some demon?"

"I'm not just _some_ demon, Bobby." The dark-haired woman stood, brushing herself off. "I'm Ruby. Just in a different body."

"I'm _trying_ to do the right thing here, Bobby-" Sam started to explain. He wanted them to be on his side. They had to see that they were being manipulated. And Dean... he hadn't had the courage yet to look at him.

"You don't need to explain, Sam." Ruby cut him off. "We're not here for chit-chat. We're here to _stop_ them."

"Sammy, wait! " Dean tried again to get his brother's attention. It had been so many years since he had last saw Sam... to him, anyways. But this wasn't his brother. It couldn't be. "Sam. Please, just listen to me. I can explain what's going on!"

Sam closed his eyes. _That's not him, Sam. That's just what's left after Hell..._

Ruby could see his inner turmoil, and knew he was close to giving in. _Not on my watch..._

"Sam, come o-" Dean's sentence was cut short as Ruby shoved her blade into his abdomen.

"Dean!"

It was chaos. There was a lot of fighting as Ruby tried to run, and Sam tried to help her. Sam had seen what had happened, but had no time to react because now Bobby and Megan were after Ruby, and he needed her. She was going to help him save the world. She was most important right now.

Sam and Ruby ran out of the house, and disappeared.

…

"God damn it, Ruby! " Sam yelled once they were safe. "That didn't accomplish anything!"

"Calm down, Sam!" Ruby stood still, crossing her arms as Sam paced back and forth. "We accomplished enough. Two of them are down. It's going to be awhile before they're ready to fight again. Enough time for us to kill Lilith."

"Lilith?" Sam repeated.

Ruby nodded. "Lilith is the first demon. She's very powerful. And _she's_ the one behind the apocalypses. We kill her, her minions will scatter like ants. It will all be over."

Ruby watched Sam intently, relishing in her own skills as Sam bought into every word of her lie. She had been working towards this for such a long time... and it was finally about to come together.

She wanted to celebrate, to grin and laugh at her own success... but as for now, Sam would be left in the dark. Only until he he killed Lilith, therefore both raising Lucifer and completing his own transition into his demonic state, would he finally become the leader he was born to be. _Her_ leader.

…

"Dean..." Castiel crawled to the human's side while still grasping in pain at his injured shoulder.

Megan and Bobby had run out after Sam and Ruby.

"Dean... stay with me..." Castiel clutched onto Dean's arm, attempting to be some form of emotional support for him. Dean's eyes were open, but he wasn't saying anything. His face was red, but not as red as the blood pooling from his stomach. "Dean, please... I can't... I can't heal you. I'm too weak. I'd... I'd die. You have to make it until Megan gets back..." He pleaded with Dean, praying that the promise of hope would keep him awake until Megan could heal him.

Secretly, he hoped that she could. She was still new to her powers, but with her training she should be ready to.

"Cas..." Castiel could do nothing but watch as Dean shook, closing his eyes and slumping forwards, slightly.

_No..._ Castiel could feel Dean's life slipping away. He couldn't let Dean die. He was important to this mission. Cas had spent too much to get him out of Hell, just for him to die, now. And most importantly... Dean was his friend.

Castiel reached out once again, this time pressing his palm onto Dean's wound. He tried to focus through his own pain, and heal him.

He could feel his own energy draining away, but he didn't stop.

He had to save Dean Winchester.


	40. Castiel

_**We're winding down to the last final chapters... including the epilogue, there will be 43 chapters in total. Sorry for the cliffhanger, hope you enjoy!**_

"Castiel?"

Cas opened his eyes, slowly. His vision was blurry, but eventually it adjusted enough for him to see Dean in front of him.

He had been _dreaming_, which doesn't sound too odd, except for the fact that angel's don't dream. They don't even sleep.

Yet he dreamt of a long, gravel road. He dreamt of the somehow calming sound of an engine rumbling, and... someone's voice. A smooth, warm voice. He couldn't remember who, or what about.

He didn't remember much, but it was a good dream.

"Cas? You with me?" Dean's voice brought him out of his haze.

"Yes, I'm awake. What happened?" He sat up, feeling surprisingly well, but tired. So, so tired. _Another human feeling..._ He was lying on the couch, and Dean had pulled a chair over next to him.

"You and I really got our shit kicked in, that's what happened, " Dean laughed, and for not the first time, Cas wondered why humans laughed at times like these. "I was... I mean I was done for. But you, you kept me alive long enough for Megan to come back and help." Castiel nodded. He remembered now. He didn't expect to wake up again after that. He was so close to dying.

"She couldn't heal us both. Only so much energy, ya know?" Dean pulled up his shirt, exposing the deep and slightly healed wound. "But you had done enough to keep me alive. So she healed you."

Castiel reached for his shoulder, and discovered that the bullet hole was completely gone. Megan had been able to cure him completely. He would be fine, which is more than he could say for Dean. "Are you in pain?"

Dean shrugged, which Cas took as a yes. Something else he had learned about humans: they lie. Sure, Angels lied, too, but with a purpose. Sometimes humans lied even though it only brought them more suffering.

"Nothing I can't handle. As long as my guts aren't spilling out, I'll be fine." Dean laughed again, and this time Castiel smiled to be polite. "Thanks, by the way. You saved my life. And by almost ending yours."

"You're welcome." Cas didn't know what else to say. He didn't know how to explain that he just couldn't let Dean die. He just couldn't. He cleared his throat, changing the subject from the awkward silence that had followed. "Where is Megan, now? And Bobby?"

Dean sighed. "They think they can track down Sam. And they think he'll lead them straight to Lilith."

"So they are looking for him, now?" Dean grunted his agreement. His face had changed, and Castiel guessed he was thinking about Sam. "If it helps, Dean, I do believe your brother is still in there. He's just... misguided."

Dean scoffed. "Yeah, I know. By _Ruby_..." Castiel noticed his hand involuntary pressing against his abdomen where the wound still was. He _was_ in pain. Castiel wished he could heal him without hurting himself, again. "I swear to God. I'm going to kill her for what she did to Sam."

Castiel tried to assure him, "You will get your revenge, Dean. Soon. When we stop the demons and angels plan."

Dean nodded, absently. "I don't even really want revenge, Cas..." He admitted, his voice softer and quieter than Castiel had ever heard it before. "I just want my brother back."

Castiel hesitated before replying, "You'll get him, too, Dean. I'll make sure of it."

"WE FOUND HIM!" Megan's voice rang out, disrupting their heartfelt conversation. She appeared in the middle of the room, with a somewhat- discombobulated Bobby. "Castiel, you're awake!" Megan added after seeing him up. "How are you feeling? "

"I'm fine- you found Sam?"

"We sure did. Or rather, Megan did." Bobby explained. "But they're leaving, soon. They're going after Lilith, to kill her."

"Which starts the apocalypse?"

"Which frees Lucifer from his cage, and then _he_ starts The End."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Dean asked standing. "Let's go!"

Megan frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why the Hell, not?"

"Because you're not ready, yet, boy!" Bobby answered. "You're not healed yet, and neither of these knuckleheads are strong enough to fix you right now. They gotta focus on Sam and Ruby and Lilith."

"I'm fine!" Dean argued. "It doesn't even hurt!" Dean glanced over at Castiel, who knew Dean was lying. Castiel did not say anything, though. He just watched the others argue. "You guys are _not_ leaving me out of the boss fight. And you are certainly not going against my brother without me there!"

A tense silence fell over the room as everyone thought over their options. "You're right, Dean. You should go." Megan said, finally, although she didn't quite sound like she believed it. "But you have to take it easy, okay?"

Dean grinned. "You know me. Easy is my middle name."

…

Ruby cut a thin slice through her arm, letting blood flow out. She laid on the bed, motioning for Sam to come.

Sam crawled on top of her, taking her arm. She put his lips on the cut, sucking up the powerful blood.

This was it. This was the end. Sam only needed this little bit more power before he would be able to kill Lilith- without even touching her. It was _her _fault so many innocent people had died, and it would be her fault if they _all _died at the hands of Lucifer. And it was her fault that Dean suffered in Hell for so long, that he became just like her. She had to be stopped.

And he would be the one to stop her.


	41. Sam

_**In Supernatural, I don't remember if they addressed this or not, but I always wondered if Sam was the only one who could kill Lilith or not. Otherwise it seemed like Lilith could have anyone kill her, or just kill herself to **__**break**__** the seal. I assume, then, that **_**Sam **_**had to be the one to kill her. That's how I'm writing this. (If anyone can explain that, I'd appreciate it.)**_

Lilith didn't want to die, but she knew it was inevitable. When she began her epic search for Lucifer, she had no idea that her death was the final key to freeing him.

She would go through with it, anyway. She was the first demon- the first human soul Lucifer twisted for his own pleasure and revenge. She was special to him, and he was everything to her. If this was what it took to free him from his imprisonment, then so-be-it.

When Sam Winchester entered the abandoned church she was staying at, she wasn't the least bit surprised. She knew he was coming.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Sammy Winchester, Boy King." She sat on the steps to the alter, watching him walk in. Ruby trailed behind him. Ruby and Lilith met eyes, and Ruby nodded behind Sam's back. Lilith knew what that meant. Everything was ready. It was time to die.

"You must be Lilith." Sam spat, clutching a blood-caked blade.

"Indeed I am." Lilith snapped her fingers, and several demons appeared beside her. "You must be here to kill me." She continued, tilting her head. "You won't do a very good job of it with that thing. I can smoke out of here at any time, you know."

Sam smirked. "I won't be needing this for you," He let go of the blade, and it fell to the ground with a _thunk_. He lifted his hand, concentrating.

Lilith felt it- the power running through him. It shot into her, shaking her from the inside. It felt like her body was melting, but not just her human vessel. Her soul, or what was left of it, was being pulled apart inside her. She was paralyzed.

"Sam! No!" Sam felt someone run into him, breaking his concentration, and his grasp on Lilith. Lilith was let go, alive, but she fell to the floor in agony.

As soon as the ritual was interrupted, the demons attacked. They ran at the four new-comers, knives out and ready.

…

Bobby held Sam down, and was terrified to see that Sam's eyes were briefly back. "Bobby?"

"Sam, you can't do this. You can't kill Lilith." Bobby begged for him to listen, to understand. "It won't work, trust me."

…

"Sam!" Ruby went to grab Bobby, but Castiel got to her, first. He pulled her away, dragging her to the center of the room where Dean was standing.

"Hiya, Ruby. Nice to see you, again." Dean grinned.

Ruby screamed. "I left you for dead, you bastard!"

"Yeah, about that..." Dean pulled out a blade, shoving it into her. "That's for my brother, you bitch."

Ruby gasped as Dean turned the blade inside her. "You're too late... Dean..." She paused, trying desperately to breathe. "I still beat you. Your b-brother is... is l-long... g-gone..." She slumped forward, and Castiel let her fall to the ground.

…

"You don't know what you're saying Bobby. I _have_ to kill Lilith. The angels are tricking you!"

"No, son, you listen to me. Ruby is manipulating you. If you kill Lilith, the final seal will break."

Sam's eyes widened as he took in this new information. "What?"

…

Dean and Castiel were fighting Lilith's minions, side-by-side. "Where's Megan?" Castiel yelled.

Dean shoved a blade into one of the demons, and threw the body at another running at him. "She's after Lilith. As soon as she kills her, these guys will scatter."

Castiel took a hard hit to the face, but Dean managed to ram into the demon and kill it. "We gotta get out of here, Dean. We can't be be here when Megan kills her. There may be... casualties."

Dean nodded. "Not without Bobby and Sam."

…

Lilith sat up, breathing heavily. Sam Winchester was trapped by what she could only assume was a hunter. Ruby was... dead. Killed by Dean Winchester. Figures he'd show up. She was about to stand, when she felt a blade tip against her back. "Don't move."

Lilith grinned. "Is that an Angel of Freedom behind me?"

Megan pulled Lilith up by her arm to face her. "You're damn right. You can call me Megan."

"Well, Megan. I assume you're going to kill me, bypassing the seal and keeping Lucifer locked away." Megan didn't respond. "And i _also _assume that your angel-friend over there didn't tell you what would happen to _you_ when you kill me?"

Megan paused. "What do you mean?"

Lilith grinned. She knew it. That Castiel never told her the truth. "When you destroy me, you destroy both of us. Neither of us will make it out of this alive."

…

"You're crazy!" Sam shouted, throwing Bobby off of him. "Ruby wouldn't..."

Bobby grabbed onto Sam's arm, but no longer aggressively. "Sam, please. You can trust me. And you can trust your brother. He's no demon, Sam. It's really him."

Sam's head was spinning. He had always known Ruby was shady. But she couldn't have lied to him... not all this time... He looked around but he couldn't find her. All he saw was a dead body on the floor. _No..._

"Sam, listen to me. Come with me. We can help you." Bobby pleaded, one last time.

Sam hesitated a long while before nodding. "What about Lilith?"

"Megan will take care of her. She's the only one who can."

Bobby and Sam ran to Castiel and Dean. Castiel immediately zapped them away, to safety.

Meanwhile, Megan had a decision to make.


	42. Dean

_**This is technically the last chapter of this story, but of course there will be an epilogue, because you do not want to be left with just this ending :) **_

_**Thank you so much for reading, everyone! It's been a pleasure writing for you!**_

They were in the only place they had called home for a long time.

"Sammy?"

Sam turned to see his brother up close for the first time in months. "Dean..."

Dean wrapped his arms around his gigantic little brother.

"I'm so sorry, Dean. Ruby said-"

Dean pulled away, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it, Sammy. I know it was all Ruby. But it's okay. It's all over now. Megan is going to get rid of Lilith once and for all, and then this will all be over."

Castiel's face dropped, and Dean saw it right away. It was the same look he had the day he rescued Dean. He knew something. "Cas... is there something you want to tell me?"

"Megan... Megan _can_ destroy Lilith, but..."

"But what?"

"Megan will die, as well." Castiel was never going to mention this. Never. But he had grown so attached to the Winchesters, and to Megan and Bobby... he couldn't lie to them anymore.

"_What?_" Bobby exclaimed.

"And somehow you failed to mention that all this time?" Dean yelled. "There's got to be another way!"

Castiel shook his head. "There isn't. That's why I never said anything. I knew you wouldn't agree-"

"Damn right I don't agree!" Dean would _not_ let Megan die. Not after all of this. There _had _to be something else they could do... "Take me to her."

"Dean, no!" Sam protested. "You'll get killed!"

Bobby nodded. "Sam's right, Dean. There are way too many demons there for us to hold off long enough for you to get to Megan. And if you manage to stop her from killing her, Lilith will most definitely kill you. It's too dangerous."

"We can't just let her die!" Dean grabbed Castiel's arm. "I swear to God, Cas. You take me back there. I need to talk to her."

Castiel gave him a troubled look. This was most certainly a suicide mission. For anyone who went. He wanted to say no, especially since he could feel Bobby and Sam staring at him, waiting for him to agree with them. But... maybe Dean was right. Maybe they _could_ save Megan. "Fine. We'll go."

"Castiel, no!" Sam grabbed out to reach him, but they both disappeared before he could stop them. "Dean! " Sam called. Bobby put his hand on his shoulder. "Dean..."

…

They landed in the middle the church, where Megan was currently fighting off demons. At the alter, Lilith was laughing. "Just beam out of here, Megan. You'll never work up the courage to kill me, anyway."

"Megan!" Dean and Castiel started to help kill the last demons there. With three of them, it was easier. Lilith stayed on the steps, obviously confident that Megan would never go through with it. She continued to taunt them.

"Go ahead, kill them all. I don't need them. All you are doing is postponing the inevitable."

With the last demon slayed on the ground, they were able to get to her.

Megan was in tears, and as soon as they got to her, she ran into Dean's arms. "I don't want to die, Dean..."

Dean ran his hand along her back. "I know... I know..." He had planned on taking her away from here, and figuring out a new plan. But as he looked at Castiel he knew it was useless.

If they didn't kill her now, Lilith would just find another way. They had to do this now, or never.

"I know, Megan... but... you have to do this."

Megan looked up, upset and shocked. "What?"

Dean bit his bottom lip, trying to stop himself from crying the same way. "I know I told you not to do anything you didn't want to... but this is the only way, Megan. The only way to stop her."

Megan closed her eyes. She knew he was right. She had to be strong, now. She had to do this.

"You're not going to do this alone, Megan. I'll stay with you."

Both Megan and Castiel, who had stayed silent until then, asked "What?"

Megan continued, "Dean, I can't.. I can't let you do that..." Anyone inside the church would most certainly die when she killed Lilith. Her power would wipe out the whole place. If Dean stayed behind...

Dean shook his head. "Look... When Sam and I escaped into that liquor store, I had no idea what we were getting into. I had no way of knowing that I was going to meet you. Megan, you are a part of my family now, as far as I'm concerned. And I take family very seriously. I will _not_ leave you here to die, alone. I won't do it."

Castiel stepped forward. "Dean, please... you don't have to do this. Think about Sam-"

Dean put his hand on Cas' shoulder, stopping him. Tears were flowing freely now as he accepted his death. "I'm always thinking about Sam, Cas... look after him for me, okay?" Cas started to shake his head. "Cas, please... this is my choice." Dean paused. "Thank you, for everything. You... you mean a lot to me, man..."

"Thank you, Dean..." Castiel thought, for the first time ever, he was going to cry. "Don't worry about Sam. I'll look after him."

Dena nodded. "You should get out of here, buddy."

Castiel disappeared.

"What, is your little huddle over so soon?" Lilith called. "So what? Are you going to do it, or not? "

Megan turned to Dean, grabbing his hand. "You got this, Megan." Then, after a pause. "Don't worry, I'll be here to protect you."

That line was not lost on Megan, who smiled through her tears. "Pssh. Yeah, okay." They both then turned to Lilith.

"You're going down, bitch."

Megan focused all her energy on destroying Lilith completely. Lilith could feel it, and it felt different than with Sam. It felt _absolute_.

Dean couldn't tell exactly what was happening. Megan's eyes were closed, and she was squeezing his hand with such force he thought she would break it.

Lilith was obviously effected, as she was writhing on the floor, screaming.

A light was coming from Megan, a blinding white light. Dean just held onto Megan, trying to shield his eyes from the light. But he knew, soon, it wouldn't matter.

In a great big explosion of light and energy and angelic grace, the entire church was destroyed, leaving nothing behind.

No signs of what may have caused it. No bodies. No nothing. Anyone who wandered across it would have no idea what happened. Have no idea of the apocalyptic events that almost transpired here.

But Castiel, who stood not too far from the wreckage, knew exactly what happened. He watched it explode, knowing full well at what cost.

A tear fell from his eye, which felt so foreign to him, but he just wiped it away. All the while he couldn't stop thinking one thing.

What was he going to tell Sam Winchester?


	43. Epilogue

"_**Heaven would never be heaven without you." ―Richard Matheson **_

_**...**_

Castiel listened to the rumble of the engine, and somehow this all felt so familiar.

The Impala's tires rolled down the gravel road, which led to nowhere in particular. The sun was down, leaving the air a crispy dusk, which was Dean's favorite time to drive.

Dean sat beside him, in the driver's seat. He looked better than he had in a long time. He looked healthy and happy, and (ironically) full of life. The amulet Sam had given him all those years ago bounced up and down against his plaid-clad chest as they drove down the bumpy road.

Dean reached forward and turned down the radio, which was currently blasting at full volume. "So, Cas. Where do you wanna go?"

Castiel smiled, glancing over only briefly at his friend. "It's your Heaven, Dean. I have little control over where we go."

After the apocalypse never came to be, the Angels in charge of the rebellion fled. The others pledged their loyalty to God once again, and promised to be faithful.

They Angel's that had followed him against the apocalypse wanted Castiel to lead them, now that Heaven was united again. Yet Castiel declined. He had other plans.

Dean.

Dean shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I just figured you might be bored of fishing trips and strip clubs." Castiel didn't reply, and they were left in a comfortable silence that was only broken by the question Dean always asked. "How's Sammy?"

Castiel focused in on Sam Winchester. He had been keeping tabs on him and Bobby ever since he had to tell them about Dean. They were both devastated, of course, and angry. But Sam especially. He was angry at Dean for going, and at Cas for taking him. But mostly, he just wanted Dean back.

Castiel assured him that there was nothing he could do- that Megan's blast was permanent. Of course, Angel's could bring people back to life under special circumstances, but Castiel didn't mention that. There was enough going wrong without them bending the rules.

Besides, Dean didn't seem to mind. He was content in his own personal Heaven, with Cas, traveling through his best memories.

Over time, as the world was starting to put itself back together, Sam slowly let it go. He was still angry, Cas could tell, but he knew it was never up to him. Dean had made his own choices, and there was nothing he could do about that.

Castiel had been paying special attention to Sam's energy. He knew from Bobby that Sam's eyes had gone black in the church. Luckily, it didn't seem to effect him now. Still, Cas just wanted to make sure Sam kept himself out of trouble, and he knew Dean would appreciate that.

"Sam's fine. Things are almost... normal down on Earth."

Dean nodded. "Good... is he still hunting?"

"Occasionally. He's going back to school, soon."

Dean smiled. Sam was moving on. Finally. "Could you, like, take a message to him for me?"

Castiel frowned. "I'm not sure that would be appropriate. "

"Of course..." Dean sighed. "What about Megan? Have you got any leads on her?"

Dean and Castiel had been searching for Megan ever since she, too, died. It was unclear what happened to angels when they died. It was possible that they disappeared forever, and that there was no one beneath God himself who could bring them back. That answer, though, was not good enough for Dean.

Castiel shook his head. "No, unfortunately. I told you it was unlikely we'd find her, Dean. She may be lost. Forever. "

"Never say never, Cas." Dean hit him playfully on the shoulder. "We'll find her."

Dean was happy. Sam was safe and sound on Earth, and now he could live the life he was always meant to have. He and Cas were hanging out in Heaven, and could go wherever they wanted. And he knew, deep down, that they'd find Megan. They had to.

"Now, as I was saying.. where do you wanna go?"

_**So, there it is. The end of **_**Dead Already****_. I have loved writing this, so thank you for being my willing readers. Now, this is the end of the story, but who knows? Maybe there will be a sequel involving finding Megan... only time will tell :)_**

_**If you liked this, you should totally check out my other stories, including my other IP, **_**Imaginary Friends****_, (If you like Doctor Who, anyway.)_**

_**Thank you!**_


	44. When I Take That Ride- Sneak Peak

_**Yay! It's finally happening! The sequel to this story, titled **_**When I Take That Ride, ****_now has it's first chapter! Below is the very beginning of the chapter, but to read the rest, go check it out!_**

"Dean!"

Castiel's harsh voice came out of nowhere, almost causing Dean to lose control of the steering wheel. He had been driving down the road, in his precious Impala, alone, when suddenly, there was a passenger beside him.

"Jesus, Cas. I told you not to do that when I'm driving." Not that he could actually injure himself here. It was Heaven, after all. "At least give me a little warning."

"There's no time for that." Cas' blunt tone had Dean worried. Sure, down on Earth, Castiel was _always_ abrasive. But ever since they had spent time together up in Heaven, the angel had seemed to soften quite a bit.

Life, or rather, lack there of, had been pretty peaceful. He and Castiel had become quite close, and Dean actually ended up liking the guy.

In fact, the only issue he had with Heaven, was that there was no Sam. It was a pretty substantial problem.

Cas wasn't always in Heaven with him. He would leave for long periods of time, and Dean wasn't entirely sure where he went. But he never bothered him about it, because he knew Cas had more important things to do than be with him.

"Well spit it out, Cas. What is it?"

"I think I may have found Megan."

_**To read the rest, go read **_**When I Take That Ride****_!_**


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